Maelstrom Storms Heaven
by Houkaru Kisaragi
Summary: Naruto died in the world of the living. As a lost soul, he is taken in by Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto to become a shinigami and the future successor of the Yamamoto clan. Little does he realise that his existence has shaken the foundation of the world.
1. Chronicles of Naruto Uzumaki

I have been very busy during October and November.

I have exams! Give me a break!

I'm human and I needed a rest. When I was having a nice nap, an idea popped into my mind. Eager to unleash my ideas, I switch on the computer and type out my story. This is my result. Please review after reading.

**Disclaimer: I don't wish to repeat this in every chapter in the future. I don't own both Naruto and Bleach**.

_"Thinking"_

_"_Talking"

* * *

**~ First Chapter: Chronicles of Naruto Uzumaki ~  
**

Naruto had been walking aimlessly in a clumsy gait; his shoulder slumped as if a ponderous burden was placed on it while dragging every single tiresome step. The blonde was uncertain whether he was alive or not and was perplexed over the fact that a chain was mysteriously attached onto his chest.

He remembered waking up in a dark forest and started surveying the desolated surrounding while trying to recall how exactly did he ended up in this mess. As he tried to remember the sequence of events that resulted in his predicament, the blonde's head started to ache painfully.

Naruto continued travelling to the deepest domain of the tenebrous forest; he couldn't help but shivered in fear. It had been days or weeks since the boy wondered around the maze called forest. Surprisingly to him, nothing could notice his presence. No matter how he tried to provoke an animal or a passerby, nobody seemed to be aware of his existence.

He felt empty.

As far as he was concern, he had lived his life trying to gain acknowledgement. Fearing of being denied of his existence due to how he was treated usually by the villagers, the blonde was masked with a façade that he thought could allow him to blend into the populous. Even so, he failed miserably and eventually decided to become the Hokage of the village in hope that the villagers would trust him.

Since his dead, his dream of becoming Hokage would be impossible.

How ironic.

All his life, his goal and dream which he tried desperately to reach were shattered into million pieces.

Life was so fragile.

And so unfair.

While contemplating, the blonde was unaware of a certain pair of eyes observing him under the shadows. The silent being had been studying the boy for a while and decided to make his presence noticed by flaring his reiatsu, shaking the entire forest to its core.

_"What is this…weight? The gravity is as if… increased by ten folds all of a sudden! This is unreal!"_

Naruto collapsed to his knees and trembled in trepidation. The sudden pressure was powerful yet… non-threatening, he could feel it. Shifting gazes from the soil of the forest to the source of the pressure, the blonde's eyes widened in shock.

Standing not far away from the boy was a old man with a oversized white haori hung loosely over his shoulder and a wooden cane that he held in his hand. What truly amused Naruto was the ludicrous beard the being had grown on his chin that looked so bizarre.

The old man stepped forward and lightened the spiritual pressure that he emitted and eyed the blonde.

"What are you doing in this forest, child?"

Naruto finally managed to breathe properly after the sudden heavy force of gravity seemed to diminish.

"I apologies for my intrusion, child. I shall repeat once more, what are you doing here?"

Bringing courage to the surface of all emotions, Naruto replied. "I…I don't know sir. I had woken up in this place with no memories of how I ended up here." The blonde gulped the nervous lump in his throat and waited for the stranger's response.

The old man surveyed the boy's injuries and sighed in sympathy.

_"This boy was only five and had already died in a gruesome death. Was it because of the influence of the Kyubi that clouded his murderers' minds? Or was it fear that tainted those fools' judgement that made them harm this defenceless child? So the reports were right after all."  
_  
_____________________________________  
_(Flashback)

"Yamamoto Sotaichou, we have received reports from the twelfth division that the Jinchuuriki of the Kyubi no Yoto is dead. It seems that after his death, he released a significant high spiritual pressure that crushed his surrounding in an instance!"

The sotaichou opened an eye and pondered. _"Such high spiritual pressure and only just died? That isn't possible. It might be the Kyubi's doing."_After a moment of hesitation, the old captain questioned. "How did the detector qualified and ranked the volume of reiatsu released?"

"On par with a Fukutaichou sir!"

"Very interesting. How did the boy died?"

"He…he was beaten to death, sir."

_"Predictable. Jinchuuriki wasn't acceptable in the world of mortals. I won't be surprise if one of those slipped into the realm of insanity and massacre humanity to extinction."_

Yamamoto slammed his cane to the ground and spoke. "Inform the squad that I will be leaving to Earth. During my visit, hand my duties over to my lieutenant. And, do inform my household to make preparation for a guest room." The old captain signalled dismissal and drew out a sigh.

_________________________________________  
(End of flashback)

"Come and sit beside me, child." Yamamoto Sotaichou sat on a log and gestured the boy to the vacant spot beside him. "I will not harm you. Trust me and do what you're told."

The boy nodded and sat beside the stranger while fidgeting his fingers nervously.

"So tell me child, how has life treated you so far?"

The boy sulked upon hearing the question and studied the soil. Comprehending the boy's body language, the old man tilted his head and stared at the colossus trees in the forest.

"None need to be spoken. So, do you wish to come to a place where fate will not neglect your very existence, child?"

Naruto twisted his head to the stranger so fast that surprised even the old captain.

"Is…is that true? Will I be accepted? Do I get to be treated equally? Can I make friends with others without being scorned? D-do I still need to search for food from trash cans?"

Frowning at the boy's questions, the Sotaichou ruffled the boy's blonde hair.

"No, you will not be suffering the terrible fate you endured in this world, child. If you accept my proposal, I will bring you to the Soul Society and train you personally. Of course, you will be sent to the shinigami academy to strengthen and control those massive amounts of spiritual pressure you possess within you and received proper education."

Naruto pondered over the stranger's statement, dumbfounded by what he was told. In fact, he didn't even understand one bit of what the old man was speaking of but the fact remains that the proposal seemed to be something the blonde had ever wished for.

To be acknowledged.

"Do you accept my proposal, child?"

"Y-Yes!"

The stranger smiled and performed the Konso with the tip of his cane.

Before Naruto's soul dissipated entirely, the boy stared at the stranger and flashed a cheerful grin.

"What is your name, Jiji?"

"Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. I will be waiting for you in Soul Society, child."

"Naruto Uzumaki! I'll see you soon, Jiji!"

As his statement was spoken, his soul had already completely vanished, leaving only a trace of sparkling spiritual particles floating in the air.

"It seems that this child will find greatness in Soul Society. I can see the hidden potential within the child. It wouldn't be a surprise if this child exhibits an extraordinary strength. His future may be obscured by the fogs of uncertainty but it would be without a doubt that this child possessed the ability to change the future in a tremendous magnitude. I hope that my decision today will not lead any regrets."

____________________________________  
(Eights years later: Naruto – Thirteen years old)

"STAY PUT YOUNG MASTER!"

"DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!"

"CAPTURE THE MONSTROSITY BEFORE OLD MASTER COMES HOME!"

Thunderous footsteps stormed throughout the entire Yamamoto mansion. Guards, panicking their stance of defences while occasionally checking the surrounding vicinity, were paranoid over a certain blonde prankster. After the boy who was adopted by the master of the Yamamoto mansion was brought to the household, the once gloomy atmosphere was enlightened to a thrilling yet joyous ambiance.

Hell, even the great Yamamoto Sotaichou laughed often ever since Naruto Uzumaki arrived to Soul Society. It was something rare the servants of the mansion or squad members ever witness; the great leader of the shinigami laughing at a mere child's antics.

_________________________________________  
(Flash back)

"This is your new home now, Naruto."

Naruto stared at the compound in awe. The entire estate's garden might as well be called an enormous botanic garden; the various beautiful yet rare floras were evidence. In the middle of the magnificent view of nature stood the mansion with the Yamamoto's emblem imprinted on the front wall of the building. Approximating the surrounding vicinity, the entire Yamamoto's compound may be as vast as half the size of Konoha.

The blonde surveyed the mansion in excitement and stared at the old man. The look he gave the old captain was as if asking approval to either wrecking havoc or familiarising the scenario. Comprehending what Naruto was trying to do, Genreyusai nodded and in an instance, the blonde adolescent sped off to the garden and starting to explore his new environment. While the hyperactive blonde was laughing and running around the field, a servant approached the old captain.

"Is this our new guest, Yamamoto-sama?"

"Yes, he will be living with us from today onwards."

The servant widened his eyes in disbelief. "L-living with us? You don't mean…"

"I have already filled in the necessary paperwork in order for Naruto to be trained under my tutelage and of course, he will be my adoptive grandson."

"A-adoptive… g-grandson?"

"Is there a problem?"

"N-None sir! I will be making arrangement for young master to settle down here and spread the word of the arrival of our new young master."

"Please do so, he will be a handful though."

"Hai! Umm… if you may pardon me sir, why would you decide to adopt that boy?"

The head captain responded with a chuckle. "I see the boy in me back when I'm at his age."

~~ (Months later) ~~~~

"Please opened the door, Naruto-sama! Yamamoto-sama will be upset if you skip your meal again! You can't train vigorously all day and don't eat, Naruto-sama!"

A female brunette servant knocked on the door continuously but unfortunately, no reply was returned.

"Yes young master. Please don't lock yourself in your room all day, Naruto-sama! It is unhealthy!"

Another brunette servant pleaded but in no avail would Naruto respond.

"What is going on here?"

The two servants jolted up and spun around in surprise.

"Yamamoto-sama!" Both servants exclaimed in unison. "Naruto-sama has been skipping his meal again! He refuses to open the door and insists us to leave him alone. What should we do?"

"Hand me the food. I will deliver it to Naruto personally." The servants did what they're told and passed the tray of food to their old master in utmost politeness. Genryusai stared at the plate of food and sighed. "It seems that Naruto still couldn't fully adapt to his new environment. It is only logical that the child still deem us as untrustworthy due to his traumatic past. Leave now and continue your daily work."

"Hai!" The servants bowed in respect and left.

The old captain waited until he's alone and shifted his sight at the door before him.

"Naruto! It's me. Open the door; I would like to talk to you."

After a few seconds past, audible footsteps could be heard within the room and gets louder and louder until it came to a complete halt. The door cracked open and the blonde popped his head out of the door.

"Jiji!"

"May I come in?"

"Sure!" Naruto opened his door and allowed his grandfather to step into his room. Genryusai placed the tray of food on the table and sat on the chair his grandson made dedicated for him. The blonde had declared the creation of the chair a tribute of his adoptive grandfather's kindness. Although the chair wasn't crafted perfectly but in the old captain's point of view, the determination and effort spent on the chair was enough to turn a mere log to a fine masterpiece.

"What is this I heard about you refusing your meal again, Naruto?"

The blonde chuckled nervously while scratching the back of his head. "Is …nothing… I was just… a little sick so… I… er…."

"Sick? Do you require Unohana taichou's attention or do you need me to bring Unohana taichou's apprentice, Isane over here to check on you? Last I heard, the two of you seems to be quite friendly with each other."

The blonde blushed. "Uh… There is no need to call Isane-chan or Baa-chan here. I'm fine now!"

"Really?"

Naruto sighed. "No…"

"What's the matter, Naruto? Is the service unpleasant? Are the maids mistreating you? Tell me and they will be punish accordingly."

"No! No is not that! Is…is just…"

"Well?"

"I just can't trust them…yet. When I was alive, kind offering was impossible to me. I have to fend off myself from lies and deception from those villagers that hated me for reasons that I'm not even aware of. I used to ask myself what I did to deserve those harsh treatments but never found an answer. In a blink of an eye and I'm the young master of this mansion. If this is a dream, I really don't wish it to end…"

This is not a dream Naruto. You're now Naruto Uzumaki Yamamoto and the sole heir of my legacy."

"But why would you give me such importance task to me? I don't understand at all. Do I deserve it?"

Naruto's grandfather laughed. "I have been captain for centuries before you're born Naruto. My predictions of one's inner strength will never be wrong. Deep within you lays a power that I have never seen before. A power far greater than having achieving Bankai."

"P-Power? Greater than achieving Bankai?" Naruto repeated, puzzled over his grandfather's statement. It was true that upon arrival, Genryusai taught Naruto the rules and regulation existed within Soul Society and how those laws kept balance and equality to every soul. Although laws were filled with flaws, it was also the guardian of peace that kept dangers at bay. After a boring session of laws, the old captain told Naruto about the existence of shinigami in depth and the requirement to achieve both Shikai and Bankai. Ever since then, Naruto had always wished to become a shinigami.

"Yes. Deep within the core of your soul lies a power that is only exclusive to you. It is the power to place his or her hope entirely on you, Naruto. That is something nobody has."

Naruto blinked.

"I don't get it. How does that make me-"

"I have place all my hope in you. Trust me, Naruto that you're going to achieve greatness and you'll fight for your own justice someday."

"My justice?"

"Yes. Everybody has their own justice. The justice of saving countless of souls. The justice of serving the law. The justice of fighting for what's right and wrong. You'll soon find your own justice to preach for."

Naruto placed a hand on his chin and contemplated thoroughly.

"I KNOW WHAT'S MY JUSTICE!" Naruto declared in delight.

The old captain arched an eyebrow.

"The justice of protecting the one I loved!"

The adoptive grandfather laughed.

_________________________________________  
(End of flashback)

It took the blonde years before he could shave all of his fear and accept his status of being the adopted grandson of the captain commander of Soul Society. Even so, he behaved completely opposite of how a noble should behave. In contrast to standard nobles' characteristics, the blonde had no desire to flaunt his title as the "honourable grandson".

Instead, he spent his time training or visiting Rukongai than wasting precious time bragging about his social status.

While he was in one of his carefree moods, a little prank will brighten his day.

And the prank he pulled off a few minutes ago forced him to hide on the roof as usual.

Watching the guards attentively, he sighed in relief when the guards left the surrounding. Throwing his hands over his head, he laid on the ceiling while chewing a blade of grass.

"I think painting all the walls pink will surely piss them off all day."

The blonde smirked and grabbed the orange book under his sleeves that he found in one of his grandfather's drawer, opened a few pages and used it to cover his eyes from the bright sunrays.

"A little nap will be nice."

"Indeed. Impressive feats for a child like you to be able to paint my walls in such stealth that nobody notices it until the very last moment. Truly impressive. But I certainly hope you could scrub off the paints from your little escapades, Naruto."

The blonde bolted up and eyed the intruder who was standing beside him.

"Killjoy! Here I am, thinking that I managed to fool everybody and you just have to show up and ruin the admiration I had for my plan, Jiji." Naruto pouted and folded his arms childishly.

The old captain let out a hearty laugh and smiled. "Trust me, Naruto that it won't be long before you manage to prank the entire Soul Society. It would be rather entertaining to see Seireitei soaked in pink but as a responsible shinigami, I assumed you would clean up any mess you made."

Realising the hint, Naruto arched an eyebrow. "You…mean?"

"I have enlisted you into the academy. With my recommendation, you will not need to participate in any entrance exams. I have already informed them of your skills and the academy is willing to offer you a place. From tomorrow onwards, you shall be one of the freshmen of the academy. I have faith in you, Naruto."

"Yay! I'm a shinigami finally!" Naruto did what a hyperactive boy would do; hugged his grandfather in joy.

____________________________________  
(Next day)

"I will make you proud, Jiji! Believe it!" Naruto had dressed into the standard male academy student's uniform; blue shitagi, a white kosode and blue hakama.

The Sotaichou laughed and ruffled his grandson's hair. "Indeed you will. Now go and make some new friends. I will be waiting for your good news."

"You bet!" The hyperactive adolescent waved his goodbye and dashed towards the academy.

"Youth." The old captain chuckled as he stood at the entrance of the academy, waving back to his grandson before strolling towards his own division. "The academy will never be the same."

Genryusai couldn't help but kept laughing at the predicament the academy will soon face.

"Life certainly will be very interesting after all."

_________________________________________

"This place is freaking huge!"

Naruto walked through the hallway while examining every single corner of the place. Portrait of previous and current captains of the Gotei 13, painting of famed influencer of the Soul Society and sculpture of brave warriors served as decoration all over the entire academy. Not to mention, the walls and ceilings were built with professional dedication. Every designs and patterns on the wall were made with decent proficiency.

"Wow, even these floor tiles were made by those rare trees that Baa-chan showed me when we went mountain climbing to collect herbs. Jiji must have spent an awful amount of time building thi-"

All thoughts were interrupted when something hit Naruto and the blonde fell to the ground.

Naruto rubbed the sore bruise on his forehead and whined. "Oww… What the!? Watch where you're going!"

"What? That's my line! You bump into me first!"

"Nuh uh! Last I check you're the one who bump into me! And what's with your purple hair anyway? Is that even a natural colour"

"Well I'm not the one who has whisker marks on my cheeks"

"I'll have you know that this is birth marks!"

"Well they look pretty crappy!"

"And your purple hair looks like flower sitting on dog shit."

Everybody grasped and the volume of the hallway dropped dramatically to a dead quiet.

A tear swelled from the girl's sunglow eyes.

"D-Do you know who I am?!"

"No! And I don't care!"

"Y-You baka!"

The pair exchanged glares. Naruto glanced at the girl's attire; standard female academy student's uniform which consisted of a pair of red hakama and red shitagi instead of blue.

_"So much for my first day at school."_

Naruto mimicked his grandfather's sigh and wrestled to stand up in his feet. After dusting himself, he offered a hand to the girl.

A silent intruded within the hallway.

The girl blinked.

"Come on, get up. I don't have all day."

"B-But I'm hurt! A-And my leg…cram."

Without a single hesitation, Naruto swept the girl up from the ground, bridal style.

"W-What are you doing baka!?"

"You guess? Bringing you to the sick bay if there is any around."

"Why do you want to do that?"

"Alright! Listen, I think we got off from the wrong foot. I'm sorry for bumping into you and insulting your purple hair." Naruto then leaned in closer to the girl's face and studied the girl's facial feature. "Now that I have a closer look, you're pretty cute with that short purple hair of yours."

The girl flushed five different shade of red while the oblivious blonde grinned.

"And I'm sorry for accusing you from bumping into me and mocking your birthmarks."

Naruto chortled. "I'm Naruto. What's your name?"

"Y-Yoruichi Shihouin."

In the mist of confusion between Naruto and Yoruichi, nobody was aware that a pair of eyes hiding behind a pair of black spectacle had been watching the entire scene unfolds under the shadow.

* * *

How did my first chapter go? Great? Nice? Good? Neutral? Bad? Shit? Worst than shit?

Please review and let me know your opinion!

Peace out


	2. Maelstrom in Campus

Hey. Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate it. HolyKnight5, thanks for your idea but I have already planned this all out. I do appreciate you giving me ideas and some of them are great. I will put them in mind, rest ensure. The thing is, I lost contact with my beta reader and I guess I will need a little help from a new beta reader; that'll explain a little grammar mistakes from the previous chapter. Well, life sucks for me.

Sorry for the wait. Please do enjoy reading.

"Talking"

_"Thinking"_

~ **Second Chapter: Maelstrom in Campus ~**

"Where is the god damn sick bay in this academy?"

Naruto had been searching endlessly for his destination for what seemed like hours. Turning towards another corner, he found himself ended up in the entrance of the girl's bathroom.

"Great." The blonde shifted his sight towards the girl he was carrying. "Hey, are you new here?"

"Yup! Today is my first day!"

"Damn, that means we're lost! I'm only familiar with where my classroom is but not every single room in this damn campus."

Naruto spun around, only to freeze in his steps when he came face to face with the person standing in front of him.

"I was passing by and I accidentally heard the conversation between both of you. It seems that the both of you are lost, aren't you? Let me, the great princess of the Shiba clan assists you pathetic fools!"

Naruto bellowed in fear. "K-Ku-chan!?"

Yoruichi exclaimed in joy. "Kukaku!"

"Heh! That's right! So dumbass like you is allowed to come into the academy huh? Well, knowing who your grandfather is, I guess that only make sense why you're able to end up here, Naru-baka."

"Hey! I'll have you know that Jiji enlisted me here because of my strength! I'll show you what I'm capable of! Believe it!"

"Yeah right. You can't stand five minutes in battle with me."

"That's not true! Y-You're a girl! It's only natural for me to hold back!" Naruto protested.

"Really? Do you want me to kick your ass during Hakuda class?"

The blonde dropped his head in defeat. "…No."

"Good! You're gonn-"

"Hey! I'm here you know!" Yoruichi crossed her arm angrily. "I hate being ignored!"

The Shiba heir walked towards the Shihouin princess, placed her hand on her chin and studied the comical bruise on her forehead.

"Wow, you're gonna be disfigured, Yoruichi!"

"What?" Yoruichi's eyes glinted in panic and horror. "D-D-Disfigured?"

"Yeah…by the looks of it, that bruise might become a permanent scar." Beads of sweats had already formed on Naruto's temples as he witnessed the sadistic nature of Kukaku came to surface. "I guess even the greatest medic ain't gonna heal that scar of yours, Yoruichi."

"I-I…s-scar…i-i-imposs-"

"Stop spouting nonsense, Ku-chan! As long as I'm here, I'm not going to let Yo-chan has any scar on her forehead! Believe it!"

Tightening his grip, Naruto scowled; his face was filled with determination. Meanwhile, Yoruichi blushed when she heard her shortened name. "Hang on tight, Yo-chan. This is going to get a bit dizzy."

"Di-"

The pair vanished into a gust of jet stream as Naruto sped across the vast yet elegant hallway. Kukaku sighed and shook her head as distant scream of fear could be heard; from both crowds and a certain heir of the Shihouin clan.

"Always the reckless one, that Naru-baka!"

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
(Ten minutes later.)

"Well, since you're all heal up; I guess my job is done here. See ya." Naruto walked towards the exit of the sickbay.

"W-Wait!"

The blonde halted his steps and whirled back. "Yeah?"

Yoruichi look fixedly at the ground, her hand tightened into a ball and her face flushed a bright red.

"T-Thanks."

Beaming a cheerful grin, Naruto replied. "No problem. I owe you an apology anyway. It's the least I can do."

Waving a goodbye, Naruto vanished into blow of gentle breeze, leaving a flabbergasted Yoruichi pondering over the blonde.

Then a question hit her.

"How in the world did a newbie know Shunpo?

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

Naruto materialised in front of his classroom from his shumpo. Peeking into the door, the blonde sighed in relief as class hadn't started. Ambling into the room, Naruto earned several glares from several nobles. Being the carefree person he was, Naruto dipped his fists into his pockets, ignored those threatening glares and walked towards his assigned seat, only to be stopped by several taller men.

"Hey punk, this is the prestige class!"

Another man stood forward.

"This class is reserved for nobles like us. Dobe like you should stay in those classes meant for losers like you."

Naruto arched a questioning eyebrow and smirked.

"Is that so? I guess trash like you can only see the cover of the book and not the content of it."

"What did you say?!"

One of the nobles seized the blonde's collar while several other nobles had already surrounded Naruto.

"We'll make you pay for what you said punk!"

The spoken statement only earned the intimidators a frown from Naruto.

"Really?" Within split seconds, Naruto grasped the offender's hand from his collar and gave it a squeeze. The man screamed in agony as he heard a sickening crack from his wrist. Naruto applied more pressure in his gripped and grinned malevolently at the noble whom struggled in pain.

"Weak, very weak." The blonde shook his head in disappointment and threw the noble off to the back of the class. Without any slight delay, Naruto sent a kick to another noble who was about to tackle him and his assaulter soared towards the other end of the room. Reacting to impulse, the blonde sidestepped a fist that was aiming at his face and thrust his knee into the attacker's gut, launching the man to the ceiling. Before another punch was delivered to Naruto's back, the blonde had already sensed the danger coming and ducked the blow while at the same time, elbowing his enemy's rib.

Grinning manically, Naruto drew to his full height and slowly whirled around, eyeing the last trembling noble who was insulting him a few minutes ago.

"I-If y-you a-a-attack m-me I'll-"

"You'll what?" The blonde licked his lips sadistically. His grin broadened. "Are you going to call mommy? You know what I hate most? People who judge others base on mere preconception."

Naruto glanced around the room. Horrified and admiration faces were directed at the blonde while his assaulters were lying around the room, groaning in pain. The blonde then fired a glare at the particular noble who had just wet his pants. Smirking at the noble's fear, Naruto walked casually towards the noble.

"Stop it now, Naruto!"

The blonde blinked.

"First day in school and you're creating trouble already!"

Naruto shrugged and dusted his hand. "Can't blame me, Ku-chan. I don't find trouble, they find me."

Kukaku placed a hand on her hip and turned towards the scared noble. "Bring your mates to the hospital and while you're at it, dry off your pants."

The man paused. "But Kukaku-sama, he-"

"Get moving you worm!"

The noble yelped in fear, grabbed his unconscious friends and fled.

"Bunch of losers."

"Kami-sama to heaven with god! What the hell happened here?!" Yoruichi stepped into the room and examined the wrecked space. Cracked walls, broken blackboard and a chaotic mess of tables and chair scrambled around the room. What really caught the Shihouin heir's attention was a particular blonde standing in the middle of the mess with a smirk plastered on his face.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?"

"Yo-chan! Well, this is my class."

_"Yo-chan? Now that I remember, that's the pet name he gave her when I met them in the corridor. Did Naru-baka know Yoruichi beforehand? Why didn't I know anything about it."_

"You're a noble?" Yoruichi asked.

"Maybe."

Kukaku took the opportunity and interval the conversation. "Class is about to start so get your asses to your seats. Sensei will be pissed about this."

Naruto nodded and sat on the nearest chair while Yoruichi sat beside her childhood friend, Kukaku. Feeling slightly uneasy about the disorder of the class, Yoruichi leaned closer to her friend and whispered. "What the hell happened here? Did a rampaging monster come to our class?"

Kukaku couldn't help but smirked and pointed a finger towards Naruto. "To answer your first question, he did this mess." The Shiba princess folded her arms and exhaled. "To answer your second question, a rampaging monster did come to our class."

Yoruichi widened her eyes. "W-What?"

"The monster is him"

"Who?"

"Naru-baka! Who else?"

Yoruichi was shocked that a freshman could actually create such hectic mess. "What did he do?"

"The usual. Trashing several losers all by himself."

"A-Are you serious? Is he that strong? Wait a second, what is his full name?"

Kukaku looked at her friend in disbelief. "You mean you didn't know his full name? I thought the both of you are in some sort of intimate relationship."

The Shihouin princess blushed. "S-Shut up! We bumped into each other in the hallways! That's that! So what is his full name?"

Kukaku shrugged. "Naruto Uzumaki Yamamoto."

And so, Yoruichi's jaw dropped upon hearing the name.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
~~ (An hour of boring lecture later…) ~~~

The class trailed after their sensei to their first Kido class. In all honesty, the sensei arrived in the classroom an hour ago and was merely amazed of the mess in the classroom. When asked why the sensei wasn't angered at the culprit, the sensei simply shrugged and said, "It's Uzumaki, what do you expect?"

The answer sent the whole class into confusion, except a smirking Kukaku Shiba.

Everybody tailed after the sensei while trying their best to avoid a certain blonde, afraid of his rage after witnessing the blonde single-handedly defeated several men.

Yoruichi walked beside her childhood friend while unconsciously catching a few glimpses of Naruto's back.

She was indeed curious about the blonde.

"Hey Kukaku, how did you know about Naruto?" Yoruichi whispered.

The Shiba heir arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh? Did a certain purple hair girl fall in love with a blonde knucklehead?"

"I-I'm not in lo-"

"But I didn't say anything about you." Kukaku teased and giggled at her best friend's scarlet face. "Alright, alright. I won't tease you anymore. The truth is, we know each other since young. He was still a naïve baka and often gets in trouble. Since we're neighbours, I have to save his ass every time. Soon, we become partners in crime and started our adventure of pranks. That's all."

"Oh? Why didn't I hear anything about him from you when we hangout together?" Yoruichi frowned. "Are you hiding things from your best friend?"

"Why yes. I deserve my own privacy, you know? Are you intending to stalk me, Yoru-chan?"

Batting eyelashes, Kukaku whispered seductively. "Are you in love with me?"

"I'M NOT A LESBIAN!"

The Shiba princess flinched; she totally didn't see the sudden outburst coming. The sensei shook his head in dismay, the class was giggling and Naruto was choking in laughter.

Yoruichi hid her face behind her hands in embarrassment.

_"I hate you, Kukaku!"_

_XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX_

"Alright maggots! I'm your Kido instructor and I hope you kids have learned the basic of Kido and their chants! If either one of you has forgotten the chant, the basic or having the spell blown up in your face then you're going to detention! Do you hear me fools?!"

"HAI!"

"Good. Now line up and wait for your turn to demonstrate your skills to me!"

Yoruichi and Naruto stood in the back of the queue. The Shihouin heir never fidgeted nervously in front of anybody. She was the future head of her clan, the future pride and honour of Soul Society and definitely the future successor of her father's status as the captain of the second division. Somehow, in the presence of a certain blonde, she couldn't help herself but flustered.

"So Yo-chan, how is the sore on your forehead? Does it still hurts?"

"Oh? Uh… don't worry about it. It's just a little bruise. Nothing that minor will affect me."

"That's good to know. Hey, I'm really sorry about calling you 'a flower seating on dog shit'. My mind was in the mess and wasn't really being level headed. If I had known that I have bump into a beauty like you, I wouldn't be calling you names. You know, bad habits die hard." Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously and let out a nervous chuckle.

Yoruichi smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "Like I said, it's alright. No worries."

"I'm glad."

"Is your turn now, Shihouin!"

Naruto leaned forward and whispered. "Good luck."

Unknown to the oblivious blonde, Yoruichi was controlling the urge to blush; she failed miserably though.

"T-Thanks."

"Now perform the Shakkaho." The instructor exclaimed.

The Shihouin heir stepped forward and raised both of her hand.

_"Damn it. I'm not really good in kido. Here goes nothing!"_

"Ye lord, Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man, Inferno and pandemonium. The sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Wave of destruction, number thirty-one! Shakkaho!"

A binding red light flashes on both of Yoruichi's palms and seconds later, a blast of crimson flames burst to life; soaring towards her target and destroyed the target into smoking crisp.

"Yata! I did it!" Yoruichi jumped in joy and froze when she was unexpectedly hugged by a certain someone.

"Congratulation! You're awesome, Yo-chan!"

"T-Thanks!"

Yoruichi was taken aback by Naruto's touch that she almost fainted into a blissful oblivion. Meanwhile, Naruto released his gripped and flashed a feral grin at the Shihouin heir.

"Now it's my turn."

Awakened from her daze, Yoruichi nodded and retreated while Naruto took a step forward.

The blonde scanned the training field and stroked his chin.

_"There are five identical targets spread approximately at a same diameter. Since this is a training lesson then I might as well take this seriously. I'll use this chance to perfect my accuracy."_

Naruto dragged out a cloth from his sleeves and blindfolded himself. Obviously, his action raised questions among the students.

"What's that blonde doing?"

"Is he using Shakkaho without looking?"

"Ha! I bet he's just a show off."

"What's Naru-baka doing this time?"

The blonde raised a single hand, spread his fingers widely and aimed his palm at one of the targets.

He muttered, "Shakkaho."

His palm effulgent a bright crimson and instantly blasted a barrage of red flames consecutively at all of the targets, demolishing all of it perfectly. As the flash of crimson glow dimmed, smoke started to arise from his palm. Naruto removed his blindfold and gave his surrounding a scrutinizing glance.

"A bit off. Well, that's good for now."

Naruto dusted his hand off and ambled towards his class, unaware of an astonished group of students and instructor eyeing the blond.

"What the fuck just happened?"

"Did he do that with just one hand without the chant?"

"This guy's a total nut-case!"

"Awesome as usual!"

The blonde sat in his seat and yawned, unknowing that a certain purple-hair girl was staring at him.

_"So the rumour is right after all. Naruto Uzumaki Yamamoto. He is indeed a prodigy that descends to Soul Society every millennium. I mean, look at the Kido he just fired. It's as if he was pulling that stunt without breaking a sweat. And he's only at the same age as me! There are already such huge gaps that lie between us in terms of strength; I wouldn't be surprise if he graduates the academy less than a year. I must keep an eye on him!"_

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

The students arrived to their next class and examined the spacious green field.

"Hey kids! Welcome to your first class of Shunpo as freshmen. I'm your instructor for this year's first year Hoho class. Now let's seat in a circle, shall we?"

Comprehending the instructor's gesture, the class sat in a semi-circle while facing their teacher.

"Alright, who would like to tell me what flash steps are about?"

A student raised his hand.

"The ability to increase our speed?"

The instructor shook his head. "Not really but nice try. How about the blonde over there."

Everybody turned towards the only blonde in the class.

"W-What?"

The instructor sweat dropped. "Are you paying attention?"

"No?"

An eye twitched. "You don't need to be that blunt. My question is, 'do you know anything about flash steps'?"

Naruto simply shrugged and answered. "A skill a shinigami require for survival. Shunpo allows an individual to either attack flawlessly in surprise or protecting one from a possible danger with a perfect execution with other combat arts. It isn't all about speed but rather how fast an individual can move from one place to another in the least amount of steps, hence flash steps. "

The instructor paused for an awkward moment and clapped. "Good! That's the answer I'm looking for. Speed is not just the factor in flash steps, the coverage of steps taken for one to travel from one destination to another is also important."

"I have already set up today's course. I hope to see every single one of your flash steps skills. The task is simple; all you need to do is to perform only a single flash step! I wish to inspect all of your skills in order for me to determine who's capable and who's not. Don't try cheating cause you guys will be wearing a special strap made by the academy to calculate both distance travelled and the amount of steps taken. If you couldn't perform it, please raise your hand and I'll give you guidance. For those who knew the basic of flash steps, please line up one by one and wait for your turn to showcase your skills."

Half the class stood and the rest remained seated on the grass. Those who stood had gone to the instructor and took a black strap.

After collecting the strap, they tied it around their feet and proceeded to stand in a line. Strangely, Yoruichi and Naruto were the last one in the queue, again.

"Guess we get to be the last one to show off our skills huh, Yo-chan?"

"Hell yeah! The Shihouin clan is famed for our mastery over shunpo. I won't lose to you this time, Naruto-kun."

Upon realisation of what she called the blonde, Yoruichi blushed. Fortunately for her, Naruto was quite dense and didn't notice anything.

_"Damn it! Why do I feel hot every single time I talk to Naruto-kun? What's wrong with me! Get a grip girl!"_

"We'll see." Naruto shot her a feral grin which Yoruichi returned with a smile.

As time flies, it was Yoruichi's turn.

"Good luck, Yo-chan."

"Thanks."

The Shihouin heir stepped forward and braced herself in a readied stance. When the instructor blew his whistle, Yoruichi channelled all of her reiatsu into her feet and darted across the plain field in a sonic blur. Notified that only a single flash step was permitted, she came to a complete halt after she made her a step and spun around to check how far had she ran.

"Wow! Fifty-metres! I broke my old record! The highest in our class is only twenty metres and that's Kukaku. The rests are hopeless. So much for a prestige class." Yoruichi smirked and performed a shunpo back to her original post.

Naruto clapped in excitement of her achievement. "Wow! You're as surprising as ever, Yo-chan!"

"I flash to impress!" Yoruichi winked and strolled back to the group while Naruto travelled towards the takeoff booth.

"On your mark!"

Naruto yawned.

"Get set!"

The blonde smirked.

"Go!"

As soon as the instructor gave the signal, Naruto had vanished and morphed into a current of air stream. Everybody grew silent and tried desperately to search for the blonde. One of the students threw a hand over his eyes and narrowed his sight, only to see a distant figure waving at the group.

"H-Hey guys, look!" The student pointed at the waving figure's direction. The instructor took out a binocular and trailed after the pointed direction. When he spot the blonde figure and calculated the distance travelled, he dropped the binocular in shock.

"I-Impossible! A hundred and thirty metres? He just broke the academy's historical record!"

Everybody grasped.

Yoruichi fainted.

"Sensei! T-That guy must have cheated!"

The instructor grabbed his device, rubbed his eyes and studied the gadget's meter. "That's not possible; the strap has only detected a step!"

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

"It's lunch time now. This is my chance to know the full extent of Naruto-kun's true power. With his skills, he should be a seated officer in the Gotei Thirteen by now. If I play my strings right, I might be able to persuade him to join our clan's Onmitsukido. He will be a great asset to us! To top that, he's cute! That'll serve a decent bonus! Yup! I've him join us!"

Yoruichi chirped happily and skipped all over the campus, desperately trying to locate a certain blonde. The Shihouin heir eventually reached her objective and found the blonde seating under the shadow of a tree. Approaching the blonde, Yoruichi noticed Naruto scribbling down notes from scrolls and books.

"That's not what I expect someone like him to be doing at the time like this." The Shihouin princess wondered.

Yoruichi shrugged and walked towards Naruto.

When she was about to greet the blonde…

"Hey Yo-chan. What're you doing here?" Naruto muttered, never leaving his eyes away from his notes and scrolls.

"H-How did you know I'm here?"

"I sense your suppressed spiritual pressure when you arrived. I must say, you got some decent amount of reiatsu there." The blonde stopped his work, put his pens down and looked up with a smile. "Are you going to seat or are you going to stand in front of me all day?"

Yoruichi blushed and sat beside the blonde. She glimpsed through the book and took cognizance of what Naruto was reading.

"Why are you reading books about the Bijuu? You know that they're myths, right?"

Naruto looked at her and smiled. "Well, I'm interested."

"Fair enough." Yoruichi opened her bento and sniffed the aroma of the food hungrily. "Baked salmon served with lemon dressing and Jasmine fragrant rice, yum! Mom sure knows how to pack my favourite!"

The purple-hair girl devoured her food greedily and noticed that Naruto wasn't eating. Curious, she tapped his shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Why aren't you eating?"

"I have finished my sandwich already. Thanks for your concern." Naruto smiled and continued his work while Yoruichi noticed several plastic wrapping lying on the ground beside the blonde. The Shihouin heir resumed consuming her food while unconsciously staring at the blonde.

_"Come on, think of something! I'm supposed to be engaging him in a conversation. I need to know mor- Wait! I know!"_

Yoruichi swallowed her food and broke the silence. "So, do you like reading?"

The Shihouin princess slapped herself mentally_. "Damn! What a stupid question!"_

"Hmm… Jiji force me to like it. I just read them out of curiosity."

"I see… So, what is your like and dislike? Any hobbies? What are your dreams and goals?"

Naruto shut his books abruptly and fixed his sight at her with a smile.

"Where should I start? Hmm… I like mountain climbing with Baa-chan during weekends. I like training with Ero-ji-san and Ukitake-sensei as well! And I enjoy gardening and taste various different types of raman flavours! I dislike people who judge others solely on a bias outlook." Naruto placed a finger on his chin. "Hobbies huh? I like gardening, training and pulling pranks on others! I don't really know what my dreams and goals are. Maybe upholding my justice, perhaps?"

Yoruichi blinked.

"Your justice?"

"Yup!"

"What's that?"

"To protect those I loved."

The Shihouin heir broke into laughter. "You're funny!"

"H-Hey! What's wrong with me and my justice? You ask about it first!"

~~ (Meanwhile…) ~~~~

"Where did Naru-baka go? And where is Yoruichi?"

Kukaku wandered around the academy and spotted a blonde along with a purple-head seating under a tree, sharing laughter and smiles with each other. Immediately, the Shiba princess hid behind a wall and giggled. "I see, so the two are having some secret intimate relationships after all!"

Taking out a camera from her pocket, Kukaku sneered evilly.

"This will be great blackmail material."

~~ (Back to Naruto and Yoruichi) ~~~

"So, enough about my hobbies. What about yours? What are your likes and dislike, your dreams and hobbies?"

Yoruichi scratched her temples and thought.

"I like training, oranges and fish! I dislike formalities. It's creeping me out. My hobbies are probably the same as my likes; training, eating oranges and fishing for fish. My dream is to be the captain of the second division as well as being the leader of the Onmitsukido."

"Wow, you have great plans."

"Expected for people like me." Yoruichi announced proudly before recalling the blonde mentioning several training partners and got curious. "So, who's this Ero-ji-san of yours? And who's Ukitake-sensei? I swear this 'Ukitake' rings some bells but…I couldn't remember."

Naruto stared at the cover in of his books in deep contemplation while the Shihouin heir continued eating, waiting for the blonde's response.

"Ero-ji-san and Ukitake-sensei are like an uncle figure to me. They trained me in the variety of the shinigami's combat field. Let me tell you, their trainings are madness. I'm surprise that my soul is still intact with me. But you know, great achievement comes great sacrifices." Naruto smiled warmly at the girl seating beside him who was listening to him with rapt attention. "I have already lost counts how many times I died in their hands."

Yoruichi choked. "…D-Die?"

"Yeah… and trust me, the things I gone through is something that you don't want to be having. If it wasn't Baa-chan who healed me day and night, I will be dead."

The Shihouin heir widened her eyes. "Your uncles are mad!"

"It's all good. They got their ass kicked by Baa-chan afterwards. I still owe Ukitake-sensei though. Ero-ji-san shows no mercy in training so tends to get carried away. Ukitake-sensei saves my ass all the time." Naruto sighed. "Anyway…answering your question…"

Yoruichi leaned closer to him.

"They are the captains of the eighth and thirteenth division, Kyoraku Shunui and Ukitake Jushiro."

"You kidding me!?" Yoruichi yelled.

"Trust me; it's not really a good thing having a perverted uncle as your tutor and forcing you to peep in the local bathhouse for the sake of activating hormones. You don't know the troubles that come with that. Don't get me wrong, life is fun with them."

"You got a weird bunch of family members."

Naruto shrugged. "I guess so."

Licking her lips, Yoruichi threw her empty bento box and stretched. "My father is too busy with his squad so he rarely shows up at home. Sometimes, I even forgotten how he looks like."

"Understandable, and you can get out now."

Yoruichi blinked in confusion. "W-What?"

The blonde turned towards the bushes behind him. "You know, it's not nice to eavesdrop other people's conversations."

A man bolted up from the bushes. Yoruichi inspected the stranger. Obviously, the stranger was an academy student judging by his outfit. His black squared spectacles and brown hair gave him a decent appeal.

"I'm truly sorry. I was passing by and didn't mean to listen to your conversation." The man walked towards the blonde and offered a hand. "I'm Aizen Sosuke, It's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto Uzumaki Yamamoto."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. _"This guy… his suppressing all of his power just like me. If I'm not wrong, his reiatsu is as high as mine!"_

* * *

How's chapter two? Awesome? Good? Neutral? Bad? Bird shit?

Review and please let me know your opinion.

Peace out.

(P.S: Fanfiction system with document management is &#^&^*. I have to refix this chapter for thousand times due to problematic errors that occur within my story and jumble my paragraphs or words.)


	3. A Little Spar

Presenting to you, the third chapter of my BleachXNaruto crossover series.

Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate it.

____________________________________  
**~ Third Chapter: A little spar ~**

"I'm Aizen Sosuke. It's a pleasure to meet you."

A gentle breeze blew past as Naruto and Aizen exchanged gazes. Both were scrutinizing each other's latent power. Yoruichi gulped nervously as she witnessed both, the blonde and the brunette, staring each other in an awful quietness. It was getting uneasy for the Shihouin heir as she could feel both contestants of the staring showdown gradually releasing their spiritual pressure.

Birds chirped, bushes rustled and the wind blew.

Yet, no sound could be heard from both Naruto and Aizen during their staring competition.

The blonde smiled and shook the offered hand. "I'm Naruto."

_"This guy is suppressing all of his spiritual pressure, just like me. He's dangerous. Something about him is not right! The aura he kept with him is as if kind and threatening at the same time. Only Baa-chan could do that. Behind that scholarly look hides a terrifying monster. Wait, he might be a Jinchuuriki? But I can't really smell or detect any sense of Biju so I guess he's not. If that's the case, then he's indeed a prodigy or something more."_

"Why didn't you address your whole name?"

Naruto blinked. "Why not?"

"It's polite to declare one's full name."

"Well, having people know too much bout' me won't be good for health, isn't it?"

"Why is that so?"

As the question was asked, a gargantuan volume of spiritual pressure crashed into the earth, startling Yoruichi.

_"This reiatsu…it belongs to Naruto-kun! Has he been hiding this much of power? I…it's choking me!" _The Shihouin princess grasped herself as she suffocated from Naruto's spiritual pressure that washed over her in a tremendous intensity. Her body limped in all mobility except trembling in fear. Yoruichi was fighting the urge to fall unconscious as the unbearable amount of pressure rained on her.

"Cause they'll quaver in fear once they hear my full name."

Naruto snuck a side glance at Yoruichi and noticed her discomfort which he immediately eased his released spiritual pressure to a halt. When Yoruichi was able to breathe properly, Naruto turned to Aizen and smiled.

"Beside, it wouldn't be much of a surprise in battle if the enemy knew about my identity, right Aizen-san?"

"Indeed."

_"To think that he doesn't even flinch a bit when I release my reiatsu. I gotta get Yo-chan out of here!"_

Naruto packed his scrolls and notes into a small bag pack, stood up and gracefully curled his hands around Yoruichi's waist, carrying her in a bridal style fashion.

"If you may excuse us, we got some private matters to handle." Naruto whirled his attention to Yoruichi and flashed a feral grin. "Right, Yo-chan?"

His words sent shivers up the Shihouin princess's spine.

"Y-Y-Yeah."

"See ya, Aizen-san!"

The pair disintegrated into an aftermath of sand dust tailing after their traces, leaving Aizen staring at their departure.

"Remember this, Naruto Uzumaki Yamamoto, if you're not with me, then I will kill you."

The brunette adjusted his glasses and gave a malicious grin before vanishing from the site.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

"What was that for!?" Yoruichi screamed.

"I'm sorry Yo-chan. He was a threat so I-"

"Don't you ever do that again without informing me!" She hissed vehemently.

"It was a tight situation! If I gesture-"

"Consequences be damned!"

The blonde yelped. "H-Hai!"

"W-Where are we?"

Naruto blinked and scanned his surrounding before giving Yoruichi a cheesy grin.

"On the roof?"

"Roof? What in Kami's name are we- Put me down!"

Abiding order, Naruto gently placed the Shihouin princess down. After patting dust off their clothing, Yoruichi shot Naruto an angry frown.

"Why did you rush off so hurriedly? That guy was just trying to be frien-"

"Yoruichi."

The Shihouin heir winced. As far as she knew, Naruto had been addressing her as 'Yo-chan' all along.

_"He looks serious."_

Yoruichi opened her mouth for a response, but shut back at the blonde's untypical silence. Naruto didn't speak and left a long sturdy gap of silence between their conversations. His fist clenched tightly and presented Yoruichi a rare look of concern.

"Take my advice and don't go near him." Naruto narrowed his eyes, sparking authority to his tone. "He's dangerous. Trust me."

Yoruichi blinked and waved a hand dismissively.

"Come on. What makes you say that?"

Naruto didn't respond to the question but instead, tilted his head and stared at the white clouds hanging idly in the blue sky.

"My instinct."

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The bell ranged, indicating the end of lunch. Naruto and Yoruichi jumped to the nearby tree from the roof and ricocheted from there to the wall of another building before descending to the ground. Being a challenger, Yoruichi decided to compete with Naruto. A simple game of tag with the Shihouin heir being the escapee and the blonde Yamamoto heir being the tagger, surprisingly, Naruto never caught Yoruichi.

Because, throughout the game, his mind had been influenced and taken over by a certain pervert.

_"Even though she's only thirteen, she has a sexy butt! Its round and shaped in the most perfect way!"_

Shaking his head, Naruto cursed internally.

_"Damn Ero-ji-san! I'm being training and peeping with him too much! If this goes on, I might become a super pervert like him!"_

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
~~ (Meanwhile…) ~~~

"ACHOO!"

Shunsui wiped his nose.

"Hmm… seems like somebody is spreading their love to me out there."

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

"I'm disappointed, Naruto-kun. You got the best Shunpo in our class and yet you lost to a little girl like me."

Yoruichi folded her arms and swayed her hips as she walked towards their next class. Naruto, whose innocence had been completely cleansed away from him, couldn't help but ogled at the Shihouin princess's swaying hips.

"I believe I deserve the title as the fas- Naruto-kun!? Are you listening to me?" Yoruichi turned to her back and found the blonde drooling. Further inspection, she realised that Naruto was actually staring at her hips. Smirking with evil intentions, she ambled towards the dazed blonde and snaked her arms around Naruto's waist, letting out a seductive purr in the process.

"Are you looking at my butt, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto nodded dumbly.

"Are they cute to you?"

The blonde nodded again.

"Do you want to touch it?"

"Yea- NO!" Naruto finally awoke from his daze and unloosed Yoruichi's grip. Resisting the temptation to touch that soft and tender butt, Naruto ran towards a wall and slammed his head straight on.

"Wha- Naruto-kun!" The blonde slumped against the wall while clutching the bruise on his head. Taken aback by Naruto's rashness, Yoruichi ran towards the bonde. The Shihouin princess crouched beside the blonde with concern and panic written all over her face.

"What in Kami's name are you doing?"

"Ouch… sorry… I… Baa-chan taught me this technique whenever my mind is filled with …certain ideas…"

"Wow, I don't know who your Baa-chan is but I think she wanted to end your life!"

"No…it's just the fastest way to remove… certain thoughts from my mind. And she hated perverts…so…"

Yoruichi laughed and lifted Naruto up.

"I'm sorry for teasing you so stop doing that. You're just going to shorten your life if you keep slamming your head on a wall."

"It can't be help. I'm brought up by a woman who scorned perverts with a passion."

"You really should show me this Baa-chan of yours someday. She's funny."

Rubbing the sore on his head, Naruto's lips curled up to a grin. "It's alright, you should know her anyway. I heard that she's quite popular among shinigamis"

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh? Popular? I know her? Who's she?"

Naruto simply shrugged. "The captain of the fourth division, Unohana Retsu."

The purple hair girl tripped.

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Naruto and Yoruichi had finally arrived to their next class's venue. Glancing into the room, the duo opened their mouth in amazement. For an indoor Dojo, the pair was truly fascinated by the sheer size of the training hall.

"Get in line, children!"

Naruto recognised that voice.

"Jiji?"

"Naruto, get in line with your girlfriend."

Yoruichi blushed.

In the group of students, Kukaku smirked. _"I knew the both of them are in some intimate relationship or some sort."  
_  
"We're friends only!" Naruto and Yoruichi yelled in unison.

"Whatever you say. Now get in line, you two are late!"

"What are you doing here, Jiji? Aren't you too old to be a teacher?"

Everybody widened their eyes in terror. Never had anybody dared to address the great leader of the shinigami in such informality. It was said that the captain commander wield the most powerful fire-based Zanpakuto and nobody had ever surpassed the sword's power. In battle, the ancient captain was more than just a force to be reckoned with. He was supposedly a god of war among shinigami.

The group started muttering, sharing gossips among themselves.

"Why is a mere freshman speaking in such an impulsive voice to Yamamoto-sama?"

"He's insane!"

"That's the most powerful captain in history that dobe is talking to! Is that idiot that dumb?"

"Why is he calling him 'Jiji'?"

Everybody gawked as the scene unfolded.

"Appearance has no relations in terms of power. I have thought you better, Naruto."

The blonde snorted. "Whatever, Jiji. I'm going to kick your sorry ass to the moon this time! Believe it!"

The class shrieked in horror.

The old captain laughed. "Foolish imbecile. That's what you said every time we spar. You know better than anybody what the outcome will be, Naruto."

Naruto crossed his arms childishly and pouted.

"Now stand with your class so I can give you a warm welcome to your first Hakuda lesson."

The blonde arched a brow. "Hakuda? I thought somebody like you will be teaching Zanjutsu classes instead."

"I'm a substitute."

Naruto smirked. "I can see that."

The blonde whirled around, grabbed the stupefied Yoruichi's wrist and dragged her to their class who was currently babbling about Naruto. Seeing how Naruto engaged a conversation with the great leader of the Soul Society's military force stunned Yoruichi to her feet. She knew about the fact that Naruto was the grandson of the legendary captain but didn't expect them to be speaking casually, especially not in front of a class. Hell, she wasn't even allowed to speak rudely with her parents either at home or in the public.

_"Naruto-kun is quite surprising."_

Yoruichi sat beside the blonde and whispered. "Hey, do you talk to your grandfather like that?"

Naruto gave her a confused expression and shrugged. "Yeah. What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing…just… alien to me. I never speak to my parents that way. My parents drill formalities and traditions into my mind all day. It's choking my life!"

"I know. I've seen Ku-chan with her family. Her parents are dead serious at everything every time. It's no wonder she has an aggressive ego."

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
~~ (At the same time…) ~~~

Kukaku sneezed.

"Some bastard must have been talkin' bout' me."

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

Yoruichi giggled.

The old captain slammed his staff to the ground, catching everybody's attention. "Now, do ignore the juvenile conversation I had with my foolish grandson over there and let us proceed to our lesson in Hakuda. Before we commence in our session, I would like to welcome you to Shinoreijutsuin, otherwise known as, the Spiritual Arts Academy where we trained you to be a fine assets for the greater good of Soul Society."

A boy raised his hand.

"Yes, child?"

The boy pointed an accusing finger at Naruto. "Why did that guy over there able to speak to Yamamoto-sama in such a crude manner and escape punishment?"

"Because he's my grandson. Does that answer your question, child?"

"Y-Yes."

"Now, as I was saying, Hakuda is the basic art of close combat. In Hakuda, physical strength, skills and reflexes are the fundamental prerequisites in the art of hand-to-hand combat. As you have all known, the Shihouin clan is famed for their extraordinary skills in this particular field of combat."

Yoruichi smirked in pride.

"But that doesn't necessary mean Hakuda is essential for being a shinigami. Hakuda will come in use when you're disarmed or engaging in a battle when Zanjutsu isn't permitted. For that, I would like to have two volunteers to display the fine arts of Hakuda. Who would like to come up on stage?"

Everybody was unease by the request except an unfazed blonde and an excited purple-head.

Eager to showcase her skills, Yoruichi raised her hand as well as raising Naruto's. "Naruto and I would like to participate!"

"W-Wait! I didn't say that I want to be part of this!"

"Are you scared of a little girl like me?" Yoruichi batted her eyelashes innocently furthermore, placing a finger on her lips for extra effects.

"I-I… alright fine… I might regret this."

The Shihouin heir laughed and dragged the blonde away from the class.

"Remember children, this is only a friendly spar. And Naruto, don't kill her."

The whole class stared in confusion.

"Heh! Show no mercy to me, Naruto-kun! I'm not afraid of you."

Naruto sighed. "I really don't want to do this." The blonde cracked his knuckles and pulled out a grin. "But well, let's do this."

Standing within the audiences, Kukaku shook her head. "Naru-baka's gonna lose. That idiot's too soft to be fightin' girls."

The captain commander slammed his cane onto the ground. "Begin!"

Naruto and Yoruichi had disappeared from their respectively stances and appeared in the middle of their arena, fist connected with fist. The collision of both fists sent a shockwave in the hall. Trained like a warrior, Yoruichi didn't leave any slight hesitation and seized the blonde's wrist before throwing him, launching him to the back of the dojo.

_"Damn, she's strong!"_

Naruto knew that it was impossible for him to decelerate by the solid toss so he decided to wait before impacting on the wall. Prior to being slammed to the wall like a ragged doll, the blonde did a somersault in mid-air in order to reverse the position of his body and thrust his feet onto the wall instead, cracking the wall in the process. Unknown to many, Naruto had gathered reishi into his feet, preventing any possible injuries while at the same time, creating potential energy through the wall from his feet.

Releasing all of the stored reishi at once, Naruto burst into speed and darted towards Yoruichi. She waited for him to get to the distance she wanted before leaping into mid-air and gave the blonde a roundhouse kick. Before her foot made contact with Naruto's face, the blonde vanished and reappeared behind Yoruichi, pummelling her to the ground with a double axe handle.

Yoruichi screamed in agony as she crashed onto the woodened ground while Naruto landed beside her.

"Want to qui-"

A pair of slender hand surged up and clutched the blonde's shoulder. An unanticipated foot blitz upwards, kicking Naruto in the chin and sent the blonde skyrocket up the ceiling. Yoruichi disappeared from her crash site within seconds and was already above Naruto. A single delay wasn't wasted with Yoruichi giving Naruto a back flip kick.

The blonde groaned in pain as he smashed onto the woodened floor while Yoruichi dropped gracefully beside Naruto. Everybody grasped at both of the competitor's strength.

"Want t-"

Naruto's presence had already manifested behind the shocked Yoruichi and gripped her shoulders, yanking her to the opposite wall of the hall. The blonde morphed into a gust of air stream, hurling towards his opponent and appeared atop of Yoruichi. Sensing a fist coming her way, Yoruichi countered the approaching strike with her own fist and swung an uppercut.

Naruto instantly disappeared in a sonic blur before the attack was delivered. Yoruichi managed to shunpo before crashing onto the wall. Surprisingly to the audiences, they were standing in the exact same spot where they had started the battle.

"You're strong, Yo-chan. As expected of the future queen of the Shihouin clan."

"Flattering will get you nowhere."

Naruto dusted his clothing and gave Yoruichi a feral grin. "Want to know a secret, Yo-chan?"

The Shihouin princess arched an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Actually, I have poor reiatsu control."

"Really? I'm doubting that. The execution of your Hado spells during our Kido class somehow contradict what you're saying."

"'It's true. One must be efficient in controlling one's reiatsu in order to prevent the spell from blowing up. I have no talent in Kido actually. It is all thanks to Baa-chan and Jiji's extensive training that I finally managed to grasp the concept. So, to overcome my flaws, I train very hard in Kido."

"Strange. I see no relevance to what we're doing here. You do know that this is a Hakuda class right?"

Ignoring Yoruichi's question, Naruto continued. "There is a reason why I have difficulties in controlling reiatsu."

A student from the group beamed his opinion aloud. "Because you suck?!"

The class started laughing, except Yoruichi and Kukaku.

The Shiba princess narrowed her eyes. _"Fools! That's not the reason, ya' dumbasses! The reason is-"_

Naruto swirled his sight at the student who voiced his opinion. "Not really."

A massive amount of spiritual pressure crashed into the dojo, washing over the students and sending them to their knees.

Naruto smiled. "It's because I have too much reiatsu for me to control."

The blonde turned his attention back to Yoruichi before depleting the reiatsu he released. "As I was saying. Although I have no talent in Kido, I do have talent in another field of combat."

Upon realisation, Yoruichi widened her eyes. "You mean…"

"Yup! That's right. I love hand-to-hand combat. It's my favourite because beside Zanjutsu, I'm quite good at it. But of course, I can't compare my skills with yours."

Yoruichi placed a hand on her hips and snorted. "Are you mocking me?"

"N-No! I'm speaking the truth. You're amazing, Yo-chan."

The Shihouin princess flushed a vibrant shade of red and staggered. "D-D-Don't t-think f-f-flattering w-will make me s-show mercy on y-you!"

"Okay then. Let's end this, shall we? Next blow will determine who the winner is."

"Sounds good to me."

Both readied in their stance. The class which managed to overcome the tremendous wave of reiatsu gulped as they're about to witness the aftermath of the battle.

Yoruichi roared out a war cry and dashed towards Naruto.

Naruto made a taunting hand gesture and smiled. "Come."

Nearing her opponent, Yoruichi jumped followed by a flying drop-kick. Her feet pummelled into Naruto's face; storming him into the ground.

The adoptive grandfather sighed. _"Naruto. Your soft tendency on women will someday be your downfall."_

Kukaku bit her bottom lip. _"Damn it, Naru-baka! I knew you will rather stand there and get the blow than to hurt Yoruichi!"_

Yoruichi landed onto the woodened floor and stared at Naruto in disbelief whom was currently lying on the ground, twitching and groaning in pain.

_"He…"  
_  
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
~~ (What really happened) ~~~

Nearing her opponent, Yoruichi jumped and delivered a drop-kick. Naruto, seeing the approaching assault, moved his head slightly and flashed Yoruichi a joyful smile. Yoruichi, who was stunned from astonishment, knew that she had lost the battle. Her opponent had seen her attacks and a simple sidestep along with a series of punches would simply end the battle, proclaiming Naruto as the winner.

But that didn't happen.

Naruto desisted from retaliating and instead, moved back to his original stance and allowed her foot to connect into his face.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

"Naruto-kun!"

"Naru-baka!"

The girls rushed to the fallen blonde's side while the audience chattered about the outcome.

"Heh, he's a dobe after all."

"He's only a big talk!"

"The idiot is nothing but a fool! What does he think he is? Challenging a Shihouin."

"Yeah, he's asking for his grave!"

The Shiba and Shihouin princesses shot the class a vicious glare, halting any jabbering to a dead silence.

"Damn it! Naru-baka! I knew this will end like this."

"Kukaku, you know…that Naruto-kun will…"

"Of course I know! I spar with him all the time. He always hesitates like a stupid bitch!"

Naruto coughed and smiled weakly. "I…just can't… do it…"

"Shut up Naru-baka! Quick, Yoruichi, we've to send him to the nurse!"

"It's alright, children. Naruto will be okay." Genryusai interjected.

"B-But!"

"Naruto has withstood injuries far worst than these! The fatal injuries he received from training and mission simulations are undeniably deadly compare to a little scratch from a friendly spar. Have faith in him! Look."

The girls turned their attention to Naruto's wounds which were healing in a rapid pace.

"H-How…"

"Now aid him back to the group. And thank you for your demonstration. Both of you deserve a rest."

"H-Hai!"

The girls threw Naruto's hands over her shoulder and walked him back to the class while muttering of insults directed to the blonde could be heard.

"As you have seen from Naruto and Yoruichi's brave demonstration, Hakuda requires both superior initiative and quick strategies to overcome your enemy. An individual who has power but lacks the knowledge of executing their attacks are as useless as an individual having no power at all. A brute rampaging in a battlefield will only die a meaningless death. A tactical approach in battle will not just improve your skills, but at the same time, increase the chances of victory by folds."

While the old captain was giving his speech, Yoruichi and Kukaku was busy tendering to Naruto's wounds.

"You should have dodged instead, Naruto-kun." Yoruichi's face expressed both guilt and solicitude.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

"Stupid Naru-baka! You get me worry, ya know!?"

"Heh, didn't know you're the worry type."

"Don't make me smack you!"

Yoruichi smiled warmly at her best friend's antics and glanced at Naruto.

_"You're a strange person, Naruto-kun. There is this…invisible force attracting me to you. Your kindness and cheerfulness really enlightenment me. Perhaps in time, I might fall in love with you. Hmm… nah not possible. A person like me wouldn't be able to feel what's love all about. Maybe you will, the girl will be lucky to have you as a boyfriend. You're definitely a boyfriend material."_

Yoruichi giggled inwardly.

Perhaps in the future, she might actually take back what she thought.

Only time will tell.

* * *

Thanks for reading.

Please do review. I would appreciate if you tell me your personal opinion of my story.

Peace out.


	4. Confession of a Broken Dream

Thanks for the review.

Now, let us proceed to action.

Let's rock!

* * *

**~ Chapter four: Confession of a broken dream ~**

Naruto stood at the gates of the Academy, inhaling the scent of the campus. A ghost of a smile curled from his lips and his eyes focusing on memorizing the layout of the enormous structure. The wind was gentle, cooling the warm moisture on his skin. Placing a hand over his eyebrows, Naruto glanced at the sun touching the horizon of Soul Society.

"It's a long day. I guess a little training in the woods will do me good." Nodding at his own decision, Naruto walked leisurely towards his destination, completely unaware of a nearby wall hid a certain purple-head girl who was currently spying at the blonde.

_"I must disclosed the true reality that is, Naruto. His prowess surpassed all of us to an impossible degree! I must uncover his full power!"_

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
**  
**Naruto ambled to the forest via a long course. Instead of taking the alternate route which was simply heading towards the vague view of the mountains existed within outermost region of Rukongai, Naruto took the longest path and travelled around the poorest district of the city, playing with the local children or buying groceries for the impecunious families suffering from mere poverty. Obviously, his actions brought Yoruichi loads of questions.

_"Where is he going? He has been here for the entire afternoon hanging out with those brats and grannies." _

The Shihouin heir wiped the sweats on her forehead and continued spying on the blonde from the roof. She waited patiently for the blonde to resume his journey. For hours, Naruto would browse stores by stores and engaged in a steady conversation, with laughter in between, before leaving.

_"Well, at least I know he's good with kids. He'll be a great father in the future." _Yoruichi blushed as her annoying thoughts flooded her mind. Shaking her head vigorously, the Shihouin heir mentally screamed. _"No! Got to concentrate!"_

Yoruichi sighed in relief when Naruto finally left Rukongai and proceeded entering an isolated forest.

_"What is this place?"_

The Shihouin princess gulped and followed the blonde in a safe distance, ensuring that the blonde teen she's following wouldn't be able to sniff her presence.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**  
**  
Naruto travelled into the deepest realm of the forest. As he continued walking, the blonde tilted his head and smiled at the sparkling stars shining in the night sky, accompanied with several dark clouds barely visible from the darkness.

"I'm almost there."

"TWACK."

Pausing in his steps when the mysterious sound was heard, Naruto shut his eyes and focused on enlarging the range of his spirit awareness radar, only to spot a particular familiar spiritual pressure behind him.

A smile crept up on his face. "I must be stupid not to notice her following me."

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

_"Stupid twig!" _Yoruichi mentally cursed. _"He stopped in his tracks for a while and continues walking. I think he didn't notice me here. He probably pauses because of the damn twig. Hopefully."_

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

Upon approaching to the destination, Naruto halted in his steps and surveyed the beautiful lake ahead of him. The shallow lake was designed by nature with a waterfall pouring torrent of water to the lake while pebbles surrounded the water. Noticeable to the eyes, the water that flows to an outstretched distance seemed to glitter under the reflection of the stars. The flowers that grew beside the lake only enhanced the brilliance gleam of the lake.

In the forefront of Naruto mind came an assuring thought. _"I think Yo-chan can look. It's not like Shikai is easy to obtain and she probably don't know what I'm doing anyway."_

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
**  
**"Is he learning Shikai here?" Yoruichi wondered while she climbed her chosen tree that could allow her to admire the view and at the same time, able to speculate Naruto's doing.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

Seating in a meditating posture above the lake with enhanced reiatsu control, Naruto opened his palm wide open and allowed his eyelids to shut gently. After a moment, a current of wind spiralled around the blonde's hand and a katana manifested. Acting by reflexes, Naruto gripped the red hilt of the sword while his rigid posture remained above the water.

The blonde teen opened his eyes slowly and looked at his reflection from the cold blade of his Zanpakuto.

"This guy still isn't telling me his name." Naruto whispered. "And yet I can feel its power flowing within me."

Focusing his mind into a calm state of conscious, Naruto dived into his mindscape.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

"Hey, anybody here?"

Naruto stood on a white cloud while occasionally sneaking glances of what's below him; a mist of emptiness. There was nothing but a bottomless abyss filled with a thick fog that obscured vision. The blonde examined his mindscape. He was merely standing atop of the atmosphere in the bright blue sky, decorated with several platforms shaped into gargantuan chunks of clouds.

Naruto yelled. "HEY COME OUT NOW!"

A violent burst of jet stream flooded the surrounding and a powerful reiatsu was lingering in the air. It wasn't long before a white dragon descended from a binding ray of light, seemingly the celestial dragon enthroned in the innermost realm of heaven within Naruto's mindscape. The great lizard landed in front of Naruto with a growl, its piercing blue eyes eyed the blonde. Its wings spread to the fullest, accelerating a series of shockwave across the mindscape as the dragon flapped its wings and massive hurricanes soon formed beside the blonde.

"You have come back again, brat."

The blonde shrugged. "I have to."

"State your business and leave."

"What business do I have besides asking your name?"

The white dragon didn't speak and allowed a silence to intrude.

"So, what's your name?" Naruto's heart was racing in excitement. Adrenaline pumped to the max as the blonde awaited a response from his Zanpakuto who was inspecting the features of his wielder. The hurricanes and typhoons that sprang to life a while ago gradually lost its strength and eventually dissolved into a harmless breeze of wind. Noticing the calmness of his mindscape, Naruto spoke. "What is it?"

"You want to know my name? Are you worthy to know my name, brat?"

"Worthiness comes from the quality of one's action. My worthiness can only be proved to you if you trust me."

"Well answered, brat."

"How do you want me to prove my worthiness?"

The dragon stared through the core of the blonde's soul and glared at the tenant within the boy. The Zanpakuto could feel the snicker coming from the fox.

_"I see. So Kyubi didn't die after all. His soul remained intact with the boy but in return for his longevity and survival, his power flows within the vein of this boy. The last few attempts of the boy coming to his mindscape prove to be a failure since the boy didn't hear my name but I wasn't aware of the fact that my wielder is the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-tailed fox. It's no wonder that this boy gained such prodigious power from both the Kyubi and his hard work."_

Naruto waited patiently for a response, aware of the fact that the dragon was in a state of deep consideration or analysing his latent potential.

Breaking the silence, the dragon spoke.

"Very well, tell me what you will do after gaining my power."

Without a slight hesitation, Naruto replied with confidence. "I will protect those I loved."

"To what extent."

"To the death."

"Why do you fight so hard for those people?"

Naruto smiled. "Cause they cherish me."

"Are you willing to lay your life for an innocent life?"

"No doubt I will."

"What if I tell you that all of these that you're being fighting for are all but a dream?"

"Then I will fight for the dream."

"Will you love this dream?"

"I will. And I will treasure it till I awake from my slumber."

The dragon was amazed by the rapid responses it received. The tone was filled with confidence and truthful sensation.

"You do know that I am part of you. For your words are truth or lies, I will know."

"So, am I lying?"

The dragon pondered for a moment.

"No. You have indeed gained my trust from your words. Braised yourself, boy!"

Naruto gulped.

The celestial dragon roared. "Never hesitate in battle."

The white clouds tainted in black. Soon, raging thunderstorms and furious hurricanes came to life. The berserker winds rushed across the mindscape, howling in anger while the blonde stood firmly in his stance, unfazed by the sudden changes. Naruto clattered his teeth as the winds temperate decreased dramatically. Enraged tornadoes drew nearer to the blonde while the dragon's gaze fixed on the blonde.

"Never fear in battle."

The words echoed through the wind, voicing over the entire mindscape.

"Never quaver in battle."

Shutting his eyes, Naruto felt a sudden surge of power overflowing into him.

"Protect those you love."

Millions of typhoons accompanied with a stream of violent storm filled the mindscape.

"Slay those who harm what you protect!"

The white dragon let out a deafening roar.

"Listen well and clear, I'm the most powerful wind-based Zanpakuto! Now do me proud and hear my name!"

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
**  
**Yoruichi stared at the blonde who was surrounded by a torrent of raging winds.

_"The air…is changing! What's going on here? Has he…has he achieved…"_

Her thoughts were lost when an overwhelming volume of spiritual pressure crashed onto Earth, pinning her in her spot.

The Shihouin princess widened her eyes.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
**  
**A hurricane made by superior reiatsu slammed into the blonde and enclosed the teen within the depth of the wind.

Naruto opened his eyes abruptly. His pair of cerulean eyes glowed a flash of blue. The blonde stood up in the confined dome within the twister and clutched the hilt of his sword tightly.

"Rage of the heavenly storm…"

The air stream focused its path towards the sword while the blade swallowed the overflowing reiatsu and wind. A moment after the sword devoured all of the reiatsu released, Naruto sliced the hurricane and dissipated it into a wave of charging air blast.

"FUJIN HYOGATSU!"

The tyrant of fury winds blasted through the entire forest, spreading the overwhelming force of reiatsu across the woods. As those words were spoken, the guard of the sword ignited into flames and soon deformed into two identical dragons head coated with silver and remained adjacently opposite with each other as the latent guard of the Zanpakuto. The blade of the sword broadened in length and width compared to the unreleased form of the sword. Finishing the last touch of the design, the end of the hilt sprouted a shimmering silver claw.

Naruto stared at his sword and smiled. "I…I did it."

As the raging winds calmed, Naruto lost all of his strength in standing and collapsed to the water.

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Yoruichi covered herself from the gashing wind rushing through her.

"T-This power…"

Peaking over her hands, Yoruichi stared in disbelief at the sight before her. The water beneath Naruto cycled him while a visible air stream revolved around the blonde teen. What truly amazed her was the fact that the blonde's Zanpakuto had subsequently changed

"Is that his…Shikai?"

The Shihouin heir examined the released state of the blonde's Zanpakuto. Emotions rushed through her as she engrossed at the aftermath of the blonde's Shikai; envy, excitement and a little spice of jealousy inflicted her mind as she wondered how Naruto could achieve Shikai at such a young age.

All thoughts were abandoned when she saw Naruto fell into the shallow lake. Instinct kicking in, Yoruichi landed to the ground and dashed towards the fallen blonde.

"Naruto-kun!"

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

"D-Damn…is this how…people feel…when they achieve Shikai?" Naruto mused. Sweats formed on the blonde's temples while water droplets dripped from tip of his golden bangs to the lake.

Slender hands hoisted the blonde's waist suddenly and dragged the teen to shore. Naruto was unable to sense any presences; it was as if somebody smashed the blonde's head with a rock. His headache was unbearable. Everything was swirling around him and he could only hear grunts coming from his saviour. When the hauling process stopped, Naruto felt extra weight dropping onto his chest.

When the pain in the teen's head was gone, Naruto opened his eyes and found sunglow eyes returning gazes.

_"Now it makes sense! Yo-chan was the one who was dragging me! I think I'm too worked up with the pain that I forgotten Yo-chan was nearby."_

Yoruichi panted tediously as she lied atop of Naruto. "W-What a-are y-y-you t-thinking!"

"S-Sorry." Naruto replied weakly.

The Shihouin heir took a deep breathe before recovering from her exhausted state and growled. "Don't do that next time!"

Naruto sat up slowly and surveyed the traces of his Zanpakuto from his surrounding vicinity. The blonde then realised that he had been holding onto his sword throughout the entire session and slapped himself mentally.

Yoruichi turned and stared at his sword. "So…that's your Shikai?"

Naruto smiled. "Yeah…"

"…What does it do?"

"Don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? It's your Zanpakuto!"

Naruto chuckled. "You expect me to know my Shikai's ability when I just got it a few minutes ago?"

"I wish I can gain Shikai as fas-" Yoruichi paused and spotted various cuts on Naruto's body. Without delay, the Shihouin heiress tore out strips of cloth from her hakama and wrapped it over the wounded area.

The blonde blinked.

"W-What are you doing?"

"Nursing your wounds." Yoruichi answered in an unusual deadpanned emphasis without leaving her attentive sights away from the injuries. "You got cut by your own Zanpakuto, that's funny."

"I guess I still couldn't control it."

Something strange caught the teen's cerulean eyes when he accidentally snuck a glance at Yoruichi's exposed thigh and saw a tribal tattoo emblazoned on her beautiful yet smooth tanned skin.

"T-That…tattoo."

Yoruichi's eyes widened in dismay when she heard those words spoken and abandoned her current duties, instead, focusing on covering her tattoo located on her thigh with her slim fingers. Her eyes glinted in both anger and hurt.

"You're not supposed to see that!" She spat.

Naruto threw his hands in the air. "Hey I'm sorry but what's wrong-"

Yoruichi turned away. Her hands trembled in fear as she clutched the spot of her tattoo.

"This tattoo symbolises my fate! The Shihouin clan's traditions are strict with all regulations made laws within the members of the clan. My mother gave birth to me, much to the disgust of the council of my clan. They think I'm not fitted to be the future leader of my clan and burned this tattoo in me because I'm a girl!"

Naruto frowned.

"That's right." Yoruichi clenched her fist tightly until blood was drawn from her nails penetrating through her skin. "This tattoo engraved into my skin symbolises the fact that I will be forced married to a possible old fart or the next Kuchiki heir and I will have no say about it! I will be fucked dry and thrown to Rukongai after giving birth to my children. All for the sake of breeding potential offspring!"

Tears, relinquished from the control of bursting, flowed down the curve of her reddened cheeks.

"Remember what I told you about my dream?" Succeeding my father is the only way out of this shit!"

"I see." Naruto muttered under his breath, his golden bangs casted a shadow over his eyes.

Yoruichi seized the blonde's collar and yelled. "What do you see!? You know nothing! You live in your life with no suffering! In that perfect world of yours, what do you know!?"

Naruto snapped. His hand gripped her wrist abruptly; his eyes radiated a violent red, his canine teeth started to lengthen and his whisker marks deepened in colour. The Shihouin princess's once angered eyes were replaced by fear.

"I know nothing? I live my life with no suffering? Perfect?" Yoruichi flinched from the sudden intense killing intent Naruto was erupting. "I went through shit far worst than yours! Let me tell you the story of a boy who died as a tragic hero, scorned by his people who hated him and murdered for things that weren't meant for him to control!"

Naruto softened his grip and stared through Yoruichi's terrified eyes.

"Once upon a time, there stood a village praised by its harmony and strength within its people. Everything gone wrong when the Kyubi no Yoko attacked the village. The leader of the village knew that the demon was unable to be killed so the only way was to seal it. But there was a problem. You see, the fox must be sealed into an infant who was just born. Coincidently, the leader's son born the day when the fox attacked."

Naruto closed his eyes and smiled darkly, his words drenched with anger. "Unable to use other children for his sacrifice, he used his own son to exchange for the safety of the village. In return of the safety of the village, the leader had to sell his soul for the sacrifice to work. His dying words were to allow the village to see his son as the hero, the saviour who brought peace to the village. The new village leader couldn't disclose the boy's identity openly and decided to name him an orphan. Unfortunately, the deceased leader's words were forgotten and the villagers scorned the boy with hatred."

Naruto chuckled sinisterly; Yoruichi wasn't enjoying story. "So much hatred was produced that the parents will tell their kids that the boy was a monster in disguise. The boy was lonely with no friends. The shops owners knew about him and chased him out from their stores or sell him food that expired months ago with an unreasonable price. The boy accepted his fate while the villagers continue their little scheme with no remorse."

The blonde sighed. "Tell me, Yo-chan, how do you celebrate your birthday?"

Yoruichi arched an eyebrow. The tone of the question was laced with grief and sorrow. "I-I celebrate with my father and mother. A birthday party with Kukaku sometimes…why do you ask?"

The blonde smiled at the expected answer. "That's very nice. The boy celebrated his birthday by getting beaten from drunks or mobs."

The Shihouin heir grasped but Naruto paid no avail to her response and continued. "When the boy was five, he was kicked out from his orphanage. It was snowing that day. He was freezing, hungry and has no place to call home. Guess what? The boy died soon afterwards. The only question remains, how did the boy die."

"W-Why are you telling me this story?"

Naruto's shifted his gaze at the grass beneath him.

_"His eyes…they're so…dead…" _Yoruichi shuddered.

"Because…the boy is me."

An eerie silence ended the story.

The Shihouin princess was speechless.

"Perfect you said? Perfect doesn't exist in my dictionary. As far as I'm concern, my life in the world of the living is far more than perfect. Life got better when I come to Soul Society and I finally feel the warmth of family."

"H-How does it c-concern me!?" Yoruichi staggered in her words.

"Don't you get it? There are many lives out there far worst than yours! Do you think I gain my power out of the blue? I get what I have from years of hard work so stop whining and start getting serious in your training! If you want to prove to those old bastards in your clans that they are wrong about you then fight for it! Show them that you're not a damsel in distress! You're Shihouin Yoruichi! The Yo-chan I know for a day!"

"N-Naruto-kun…"

The blonde's fingers intertwined with Yoruichi's while a pair of cerulean eyes stared at her sunglow eyes.

"Let's train together, Yo-chan. Let's fight for our dream."

Yoruichi could only nod.

"I'll not let those bastards do whatever they want with you, that's a promise."

The blonde wiped the tears from the princess's eyes and caressed her warm cheeks. Feeling his exchaustion limit reached, Naruto lay onto the grass, his tired eyes shutting slowly while a ghost of a smile formed on his face. Yoruichi crawled beside the blonde and lay beside Naruto, her scrutinising gaze studied the facial feature of the blonde teen.

"So the book that you're reading this morni-"

"I'm still trying to talk to the fox within me. I never seen it in person but I could feel it tapping its power into me sometimes."

"Why?"

Naruto raised a brow. "Why what?"

"Why are you telling me all these?"

The half-asleep teen smiled. "Cause you spill me your story. Fair exchange."

"Why do you trust me? Are you not afraid that I will tell others about you?"

Naruto shifted his sleeping posture and cupped an ear while his body turned, facing Yoruichi. "I don't know but my instinct tells me that I can trust you in keeping my little secret. Don't worry, my instinct never fail me."

As his statement was declared, Naruto had already fallen into the clutches of slumber, leaving Yoruichi to examine the peaceful features of the sleeping blonde.

"And there is this force attracting me to you. At this rate…I might fall in love with you, Naruto-kun. What have you done to me?" Yoruichi whispered gently before falling into a deep slumber as well.

Both were unaware of the fact that Fujin Hyogatsu had reverted back to its sealed state.  
**  
**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**  
**  
The bright sun had reached the peak of its cycles, with all its glory, warm yet shimmering rays of light casted upon the sleeping pairs. Naruto, irritated with the bright sun, had awakened from his sleep. Opening a sleepy eye, Naruto saw the sleeping feature of Yoruichi smiling peacefully in her slumber. Carefully not to disturb the Shihouin heir's beauty sleep, the blonde sat up slowly and yawned.

"I see that you're awake, Naruto-chan."

Naruto jolted in surprised and turned his attention to his intruder. His eyes widened when he saw a couple of familiar faces standing in front of him.

"Baa-chan? Why are you here?"

The blonde was rewarded with a smile that lurk a frightening killing intent. "How many times do you want me to remind you? I will prefer you calling me, Kaa-chan. I will appreciate it if you'll be respectful, especially in front of others."

Naruto quirked a smirk and shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure do, Baa-chan."

Retsu sighed.

A man walked forward. "Hey, that's not nice. You didn't greet me, Naruto."

"Hi pervert."

Said pervert tripped. "That's not very nice to call somebody who trains you, Naruto."

"Sorry, Ero-ji-san. I will try to remember not to call you a pervert. So, why are the two of you here?" Naruto widened his eyes in shock. "Are you two dating?"

Retsu smiled. "As much as I would like to settle down with a loving family, I'm afraid that captain Kyoraku isn't my ideal choice."

Shunsui grabbed his chest in mock sadness. "You wound me, Hana-chan."

Suddenly, Naruto felt a stir beside him and found Yoruichi seating up while rubbing a sleepy eye.

_"She's cute…NO! Damn it! Pervy uncle's influence will soon turn me into a pervert one day!"_

"Naruto-kun? Who're them?"

Shunsui studied the girl and interrupted. "No matter! Who are you, lovely young one? Are you by any chance my apprentice's girlfriend?" The perverted captain winked at his nephew with lecherous intention, which Naruto returned with a hardened glare. "I'm so proud of you, Naruto. You manage to scoop a girl first day at school, something that even surpass your most glorious, most awesome, most handsome uncle, which is me!"

Wiping a fake tear off his eyes, Shunsui smiled. "So, Naruto, what is your secret?"

The pair blushed. "W-We're just friend!"

"Yes, yes. Keep telling yourself that. Soon, she will be yo-"

Shunsui didn't finish his statement as a horrifying bloodlust flooded the atmosphere. Trembling in fear, the perverted captain turned to his back and found the entity that was the source of the leakage behind the killing intent.

"H-Hana-chan…"

Adorning an intimidating feature on Retsu's face, the female captain smiled. "I will kindly request you to stop tainting my child's peaceful nature into yours, captain Kyoraku. Do I make myself clear?"

Everybody gulped in fear.

"H-H-Hai." Shunsui whimpered.

"Good. Young lady, I'm Unohana Retsu. This gentleman standing beside me is Kyoraku Shunsui. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Yoruichi widened her eyes. "P-Pleasure is all mines, Unohana-sama."

"Please, my dear, you're one of Naruto's friend so just address me as Retsu-san. If you insist, you can call me Kaa-ch-"

"Baa-chan!" Naruto interfered. "What are you doing here?"

"We got news that you have gone missing since yesterday and didn't return home. Your grandfather was worried but couldn't search for you personally so he sent his guards to find you. I was nearby and learned about the fact that you didn't return to either the dormitory or home so I was worried as well. Soon, news reported that they found an overwhelming spiritual pressure that belongs to you which appeared in this forest. We suspected that you must have been training hard so your grandfather asked me to search for you first thing in the morning."

Shunsui grinned and continued. "We sensed that you have achieved Shikai, judging by the amount of spiritual pressure detected by us. We're quite worried about you. I mean, even Jushiro volunteered to search for you. So much spiritual pressure released might attract hollows, you know? You should have seen Hana-chan's face when Yama-ji declared of your missing status. She was worried sick and in a nervous wrec-"

The temperature dropped dramatically as everybody felt a very disturbing chill crawling up their spine. A hand abruptly clutched the perverted captain's shoulder, Retsu smiled sinisterly before applying pressure in her grip which resulted in a sickening crack and a petrified Shunsui.

"It would be pleasant if you choose not to talk about that, captain Kyoraku."

"Y-Yes!"

"Great. I'm happy that the message sinks into you, captain Kyoraku."

Retsu released her gripped and turned her attention to the young girl before her. A peaceful smile curled up her lips as she studied the young girl. "Say, are you Shihouin Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi nodded.

Shunsui, recovered from the pain previously, cupped his chin with his finger. "Interesting. You must be captain Shihouin's daughter, aren't you."

"…Yes…"

Naruto noticed Yoruichi's frown and decided to enlighten the mood. "So, want to know what my Shikai is?"

Taking interest with the sudden question, both captains arched their eyebrows. "What will your Shikai be then, Naruto-chan?"

"Fujin Hyogatsu!" Naruto beamed a cheerful smile.

As the name was mentioned, Shunsui's Katen Kyokotsu started to glow a deep purple and agitated vigorously.

"Eh? What's wrong?" Shunsui was curious with the unexpected reaction from his Zanpakuto. Swiftly, he held the hilt of his sword and tried to calm his Zanpakuto down. "This is strange. Katen Kyokotsu never reacts like this. It seems that your Fujin Hyogatsu might have a history with my Zanpakuto, Naruto. I might have to check the Zanpakuto library for some information regarding your sword."

Katen Kyokotsu gradually reached a motionless nature, signifying its impassive state.

Naruto was confused as he could feel fear emitting from his Zanpakuto.

_"Why do I feel that Fujin Hyogatsu's fear is similar of a man running away from a woman he ditches a few centuries ago?" _Unable to receive any plausible answers, Naruto shrugged off his thoughts.

"Let's go home, Naruto-chan. Yoruichi-chan must be tired after taking care of you, right my dear?"

Naruto nodded and turned his attention to Yoruichi. "What do you say, Yo-chan, want to train with me? I can help you and you can help me!"

The Shihouin heir blushed.

"Does that pink cheeks means you accept Naruto's offer?" The pervert captain teased.

"Then it's set!" The blonde chirped.

* * *

Please review and tell me how you think about the chapter.

I'm planning a YoruichiXNaruto story but let me know if you think other pairings are necessary or not.

If you guys think that harem is not advisable then please do tell me.

Or else, tell me which girls should be coupled with Naruto.

I'm counting the majority votes.

Fujin Hyogatsu - Wind God Godness Avenger (A friend helped me in discovering the name of Naruto's sword. I hope the name is correct.)

Peace out.


	5. Jokes and Missions that Stupefied

Sorry for the wait guys. I was stuck by the author blocks for a very, very long time. Forgive me!

(P.S: Intelligo, I appreciate your..comment but er... English is not my native.)

____________________________________  
**~ Jokes and missions that stupefied ~**

(Two years later…)

"Are you sure about this?" Yoruichi muttered, clinging onto the tree. "Because if this fail, we're screwed."

"Relax. This will be…huge." An assuring grin curled at Naruto's lips as he clung onto the branch beside his friend. "Midnight crimes always run smoothly. Trust me."

"Smooth? Remember that one time where you plunge food colouring into all the soaps within the Kuchiki clan? Ginrei-sama was pissed with his pink hair and punishes me for it!" The Shihouin princess hissed, frowning at the unjust interrogation forced upon her from the egocentric Kuchiki elders whom would without any uncertainty, flaunt their vainglory achievements to the world. "It's all your fault I'm always end up in a mess. This sucks ass!"

Naruto delivered his trademark mock pout. "I took the responsibility as well. Besides, that incident happened a year ago!"

"Remind me what are we doing here again?" Yoruichi studied her environment, inspecting for any unwanted patrollers before turning her attention to the blonde beside her. "We're in the Shiba clan's compound for Kami's sake!"

"We've been through this for five times! Get into the main pipe of their toilet disposal system and jam it hard with marbles! Lots of marbles coated with glue." The blonde grinned at his splendid idea.

"How are we going to find the main pipe?" Uneasiness drenching her mind, Yoruichi scanned her vicinity again before shifting sights at Naruto. "You expect us to dig this huge garden just to find a single pipe?"

Naruto's grin broadened in a sinister way. "Leave that to me. I'll already know where the pipe's location is. Hell, I even mark that spot."

Raising an eyebrow, the Shihiouin heir scoffed. "Do you have any other hobbies?"

"What? I overheard some servants fixing the main pipe a few days ago when I was playing shougi with Kaien."

"Then what're you waiting for? Lead the way!"

The pair dropped to the ground silently, taking a last precaution analysis on their surrounding before darting towards their destination.

That night, the Shiba siblings swore they could hear a pair of evil laughter echoing throughout their entire household. The siblings were puzzled over the familiar terrifying voices; shivers were crawling up their spines with tremendous intensity. Deep down within their heart, the Shiba siblings knew that a horrible scheme had took place and the culprit could only be a certain blonde.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Naruto dusted his hands, a proud satisfied smirk plastered on his features as he strolled back to the dormitory with Yoruichi. The blonde snuck a glance at the Shihouin princess and was startled by the feline grin on her lips; it was much sadistically than the blonde's. Reminiscence of past experiences, Yoruichi always crept up an eerie smile after a prank was performed, albeit her disapproval on executing a gag initially every time Naruto sprang out an impish plan.

"How long do you think they will realise their toilet are blocked?" Yoruichi cupped her chin in mock contemplation. "I'll say within two days."

"I'll say tomorrow."

"Why will they-"

"I put some medicine on their food beforehand." Naruto interjected.

The Shihouin princess burst into laughter, clutching her stomach in the process. "Kukaku and her brothers will soon come after you with swords and knifes and some melodramatic stunts on their way as well."

The blonde shrugged nonchalantly. "Worth it."

The pair guffawed until Yoruichi realised they're strolling in a narrow pathway accompanied with countless of twinkling fireflies. Aware of the isolated region, the Shihouin heir's mind was flooded with a mix of romantic and lascivious scenarios that flashes to her eyes occasionally; it was annoying her. Oblivious to the princess, Naruto had noticed Yoruichi's constant fidgeting and blushing cheeks.

"So…you're graduating tomorrow huh?" The purple hair princess broke the awkward silence. "How do you feel?"

"…Relief I supposed? At least I don't need to waste another four more years studying pointless history."

"How did you do it? I don't see you study at all."

"Jiji and Baa-chan's tutoring. So not fun." The blonde shuddered at Retsu's twisted punishment whenever Naruto unintentionally gave a wrong answer. Never in Naruto's life would he anticipate the kind captain of the fourth division enjoyed whiplashing as a 'realistic' way of lecturing her students. It was no wonder that Isane obtained a timid personality.

"Look at the positive aspect of life! You skip four years of your school life, literally, while we get crappy homework and an insolent sap as our teacher. Without you around, the school sure is boring." Yoruichi sighed, walking align with Naruto in a steady pace.

"Hey, hey, there is Ku-chan. Mashiro-chan is funny as well!"

"She's ditzy!"

"Cute though." Naruto chuckled. Unknowing to him, Yoruichi felt an ache in her heart and swiftly regained her composure.

"D-Do you…" Clenching her fist, the purple hair princess continued. "Do you like her?"

"Mashiro-chan? Yeah. I like her."

Yoruichi's heart sank into the abyss of despair.

"As a friend." Naruto chirped.

Her heart arose with illusionary blazing rays in her mind and squealed in delight inwardly.

"This is where we part, Yo-chan."

Yoruichi casted away from her daze and stared at the buildings before them. Time was a bitch; the first disappointing issues that occurred to the princess's mind. Nervous at her current situation, the Shihouin heir tried to piece her hectic mind together and prayed for a miracle to emerge and delay or hopefully, froze time. Her trembling lips urged her to say something, say anything.

"I…I…uh…"

Naruto arched an eyebrow, "You alright?"

"I…I'm fine…"

"Alright then." Naruto embraced Yoruichi abruptly in a hug filled with affection before stealing the princess's first kiss. The Shihouin heir widened her eyes as she felt Naruto's soft lips on her's , astounded that the blonde actually took the passionate initiative instead of her. Yoruichi's mind sailed into a blissful oblivion when she realised that her juvenile dream of kissing her crush had came true. For what seemed like eternity, Yoruichi whimpered softly when the blonde broke away from the kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Yo-chan."

Winking at the stupefied princess with a vibrant shade of pink on her cheeks, Naruto vanished into a breeze of gentle wind.

"H-H-He….I…w-w-we…"

A jeopardised mind filled with further erotic thoughts struck the rigid princess to her feet.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Kensei, dressed in the standard academy uniform, crossed his arm and tapped his foot impatiently.

"What is taking that jerk so long?" The silver hair shinigami groaned, frustrated with a certain blonde's lateness. "What did I do to deserve this?"

At that exact moment, Naruto's frame manifested behind Kensei. "Yo!"

Flinching at the sudden intrusion, Kensei spun around with a temperamental annoyance written over his expression. "You're late for half an hour. Why can't you be on time for once? Do you have any idea what today is? It's not just a memorial of our life, it's not just a milestone of our achievements, it's the day that proved to others that we're worthy to be part of the elite of the Shinigami force! It's our bloody graduation day!"

Lifting both hands in surrender, Naruto sighed. "Calm down. I was just packing for our mission today."

"We'll be graduating in four more hours from now!"

The blonde raised a perplexed brow. "What do you mean? It's just a mission about investigating a teddy bear hollow holding hostages in Rukongai and a river reported with some supernatural crap. I think we should go visit the river."

"River? A hollow is holding hostages!"

"Yeah, but I've already packed for fishing!"

Kensei sighed. "You're weird, Naruto."

In return, Naruto responded with a laugh. "We're brothers for years, Kensei. You should see through my jokes by now. Let's kick some teddy bear ass, bitch!"

In an instant, the blonde morphed into a current of air stream, leaving an irritated silver hair shinigami behind.

"Stupid jerk."

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

"You kiss Yoruichi!?" Kensei spat. "You jerk! You're the youngest to attain your own Zanpakuto, you're the youngest to graduate and you get to kiss a princess from the Shihouin clan before me! What's next, getting a promotion to be a captain?"

Naruto flashed a toothy grin. "Don't be jealous, bro. You'll get your turn."

"Jerk. I should deserve some respect here. I'm the senpai here!" A prideful smirk tugged at the silver hair shinigami's lips.

"You're getting your graduation at your fourth year in the academy while I graduate at my second. You sure that is something to be proud of, bitch?"

Kensei's smirk dropped in defeat. "I hate you."

The blonde smiled. "I know you do."

The two shinigamis ambled through one of the district of Rukongai that suffered abysmal poverty. Keeping in mind of the mission's objective, Naruto and Kensei would spare a quick inspection at the local shops before resuming their casual conversation. But, after an hour of searching, the partners were upset. Fatigue collaborating with vexation over an hour of fruitless journey was forcing the duo to resign on their mission. Naruto thought the mission would be pleasant.

Get to their objective promptly, acquired the desire information and report back to the briefing ceremony yet the incompetence mission distributor didn't pinpoint any route for them to head, leaving the two shinigamis wandering in the vast district of Rukongai. What really intrigued the duo to designate themselves into the particular mission was the fact that a hollow shaped into a teddy bear was living amongst the residents in Rukongai; that's what the mission stated but it wasn't something they get to see everyday.

"Fuck this." Naruto groaned. "We've been walking for one hour, Kensei. One whole fucking hour without any results!"

Kensei sighed. "Three hours prior to our graduation. We're so late."

Fixing his sight on the nearby group of girls, Naruto grinned. "Hey, bro, I'll be checking some info from those chicks over there. You stay here and do…uh…whatever you want."

"That's not fair. Why do you always get to talk to the girls, huh?"

"Cause I'm the youngest."

Kensei arched an eyebrow. "…Dude, we have this conversation before. I'm supposed to be the elderly brother figure."

"What do you mean?"

"I get the chicks."

Naruto stroke his jaw in a phony consideration. A moment later, Naruto stared through his partner's eyes with a smirk adorned on his face. "You don't need to. Now stay here and be good."

"Jerk."

"Bitch." Naruto retorted with a snicker before skipping towards the group.

Kensei, on the other hand, was pondering over their mission's objective while keeping taps of their time. Watching his friend flirting with the opposite sex was beyond unsettling, but even more perturbing was the fact that the blonde often triumph over him in terms of strength, wits or social issues. Although Naruto never once discriminate Kensei's status as a commoner before enlisted to the academy, hell the blonde befriended him despite being a noble, his consistent defeats in their incessant strife of battle to become a worthy shinigami was evoking his annoyance.

_"Perhaps he is really a prodigy that comes every millennium." _Kensei mused before tapping his foot; a habit of signifying his impatience. Unfortunately, he felt his sandal sticking into the ground. Raising his foot, he groaned in dismay when he saw a slick of gum attaching his foot onto the pavement. Kensei applied a little pressure by hoisting his leg to remove the gum from the ground, only for the remains of the offensive eye-sore to glue onto his sandal.

"Great." The silver hair shinigami muttered sarcastically. "My day keeps getting better."

Kensei hopped with a single leg to a nearby hole beside the bush and rubbed the gum vigorously from his foot by the edge of the hole. Several failed attempts of peeling the gum; he finally succumbed to anger and vanquished his pent-up rage by pressurising friction against his sandal with immense strength until his shoe dropped beneath the hole.

"Damn it!" The silver hair warrior crouched beside the crack and realised that retrieving his sandal would be futile.

It was at that moment where Naruto returned from his information gathering. "Hey, I know where the teddy-"

Curiosity spiked the blonde's thoughts when he noticed Kensei's unusual slumped of his shoulders and saddened features. "What?"

"I lost my sandal."

Naruto's eyes travelled down to Kensei's socks, stared back at the silver hair shinigami and shifted his gaze at his socks again. Sighing at his partner's predicament, the blonde shinigami rolled his eyes and walked away.

"H-Hey! What about my sandal?"

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Kensei, still without a shoe, stood beside Naruto outside of an apparent worn out cottage.

"You sure this is where the rumour teddy bear hollow is?"

"Bitch, are you doubting my info skills?"

"I have my doubts, jerk." Kensei studied the deteriorated outline of the house. "So, what did those girls say about this again?"

"Some preternatural stuff happened after a lake somewhere near here pop out a shark. They also mentioned some… feisty arcane matters that you don't need to know." Naruto couldn't help but smirked lecherously when he recalled how those girls gave him the information with several suggestive winks and flirtatious smiles; Shunsui had officially messed him up big time.

"I don't want to know. So how did a shark mysteriously pop out from existence and start roaming in a river? From what I know, they belong to the sea, not a narrow lake that can't even fit its size."

Naruto shrugged. "Beats me."

While the blonde was envisaging a devisable plan, Kensei's eyes bugged out in complete bewilderment when he noticed a bipedal bear staring at him before running back to the back of the house hastily.

"Woah! Did you see that?!"

Naruto arched an eyebrow and turned his attention at his friend. "See what?"

"A teddy bear!" The silver hair shinigami pointed at the direction he spotted the creature. "It wears a pink maid outfit and a bonnet on its friggin' head!"

"Pink maid outfit and a bonnet? Dude, could you be more gay?"

Kensei blinked.

"Please don't answer that."

Naruto sighed and knocked at the door. A few seconds passed and the door creaked open, revealing a young brunette girl bowing politely at them.

"May I help you?" The girl asked.

Naruto smiled. "Hello! Uh… you know what, is there anybody home?"

"Yes! My grandmother and-"

"By any chance, did you see a furry bear…" Kensei raised his hand to eye-level. "This tall and-"

"Is she in trouble?"

Naruto flashed a victorous grin at a smirking Kensei before collecting their fortitude. In all honesty, Naruto had sense a hollow within the household when he expanded his reiatsu radar. Surprisingly, the sense of the particular hollow wasn't foul or vulgar; that was totally unexpected, putting in account to the fact that hollow was beings consumed by the overwhelming negative aspects of life and twisted into mindless savages.

"She?" Naruto questioned with his smile still intact. "Can you show us…her?"

"Sure!" The girl chirped. "Oh, by the way, I'm Hinamori Momo."

"Muguruma Kensei."

"Uzumaki Naruto."

When the duo stepped into their house, they were struck in a complete stupor. It wasn't the tidiness of the house that stunned the shinigamis but rather the human-sized teddy bear serving tea to the supposing grandmother of Momo whom was seating calmly on a futon. Astonished with the tranquillity of the hollow, they stared motionlessly at the bipedal furry hollow with a mask shaped comically of a teddy bear appearance and dressed in a fancy maid outfit.

"Woah, you're right. There was a bonnet on its head."

Kensei raised a perplexed brow. "I swear, you take notice on the strangest things."

Ignoring his partner's comment, Naruto smiled at the girl. "Do you know what this bear is?"

"I'm a hollow." The bear spoke in a feminine voice. There was no ballistic hostility towards the shinigamis in her gestures or malice laced in her tone. "But I mean no harm to Momo-chan and Oba-chan."

Kensei stared at the bear warily, readied to draw his sword when crisis assault. "What makes you think we'll believe you."

"If I wanted to hurt them, they're dead by now."

"For what we know, hollow has the constant urge to devour souls, am I right?" The silver hair warrior frowned when he noticed a feature of sorrow casted on the bear's expression. "How can we trust you that the urge to eat won't cloud your judgement."

"I've already stayed here for months. All I require is a shelter and food. No souls are required for my survival." The teddy bear sat on her futon and took a sip on her tea. "Unlike my brethrens, I don't desire souls. It was strange but it's much refreshing to know that I won't turn into a creature that kills for living, literally. I merely stumbled into Rukongai with a friend of mine and Momo-chan finds me. Ever since then, I've stay here and help with chores in exchange for a home."

"Are you going to take Kuma-chan away?" The young brunette intruded the conversation; a sad hint tainted her words. "She is really nice, you know? She reads bed time story to me every night and cooks delicious food! Please don't take Kuma-chan away."

"Momo-chan…"

Naruto sighed. "Uh… Kensei, lets talk outside."

Kensei nodded and followed the blonde. When the duo made sure that they're in a safe distance from the family, Naruto broke the silence. "I'm afraid to say this but, I ain't killing that hollow."

"What? She's a hollow!"

"I can't sense any lies in her words and she doesn't smell evil to me."

"Doesn't mean she isn't."

"What's your point."

"You sure…" Kensei sighed, unable to elicit the appropriate words. "Are we going to kill this teddy bear?"

"What? Slash it? Burn it?"

The silver hair shinigami shrugged. "I don't know. Both, maybe?"

"She's a damn hollow in a pink dress for Kami sake! You know what, I can't do it. I can't kill something that has no sense of evil whatsoever even though it was supposedly label as evil. No way." Kensei tried to offer his opinion but was interrupted by his partner before proceeding any further. "How are we supposed to be righteous if we kill her, huh? We are insane if we hurt her! You really think she has any motives or intention to hurt the girl or the grandma? Cause I sure don't think so!"

"Then what do you think we should do, tell me?"

Naruto smirked disturbingly and Kensei didn't like what his best friend had in mind.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

"I can't believe you let the teddy bear lives in the house." Kensei grumbled several obscenities under his breathe and frowned at his partner. "This isn't going to work! Forging our mission reports? What if we get busted? We're fucked big time if we're caught."

Naruto raised a brow. "Dude, calm down. One, that girl promised not to reveal the teddy's location. Two, the bear doesn't eat souls… most interesting case I've ever come across. And three, if nobody says anything, who will know about it?"

"You know what?"

The blonde grinned. "I know, we're insane."

"Suicidal." Kensei corrected. "Lack of any better words."

"Just shut your pipe hole, we're here." Naruto examined the lake before him. Defiled with waste, the river was dyed in a revolting green filled with decayed leaves floating atop the surface and anomalous from the normalcy of a polluted river, a humanoid female was lying on the bank drenched with a pool of blood; her blood. The humanoid female's hand gripped firmly on the hilt of her Zweihänder while her free arm clutched on the gash of wound on her abdomen. Approaching the unconscious entity, the blonde noticed the female's revealing yet promiscuous armor that exposed her voluptuous curves.

Naruto cupped his chin as he studied every detail of the comatose being's well-endowed figure and wounds; the female reminds the blonde of a shark.

"Is she a hollow?" Kensei frowned at the amount of injuries the woman withstood. "Those injuries are fatal."

"She's blonde, like me!" Naruto beamed.

"Dude, why do you always notice the most trivial things? There's a woman lying here unconscious and from the information we extracted from the teddy hollow, this woman might be her!"

"Yeah…and she's hot."

The silver hair shinigami, unable to tame his emotion, yelled. "We have a situation here, god damn it!"

"Alright, alright. I was just playing." The blonde shinigami's visage bent to a complete flawless seriousness, as if an expression that experienced rigor of battles measured in a magnitude of near infinite. "She most likely sustained her injuries before she arrived and then attacked by mobs. If my analysis is accurate, she came here with the teddy bear hollow but was separated from her. Because of her faint reiatsu, the teddy bear hollow was unable to find her and came across the little girl instead."

Naruto pointed at the numerous stones and pebbles beside the woman's limp body. "The villagers probably saw her coming and attacked her with those stones. She couldn't defend herself and received the hits. Look at the dried stain of blood on the pebbles."

"Filthy bags of pus, those villagers!" Kensei growled. Naruto's judgment on either hazardous or grave situations was always authentic and trustworthy; the silver hair shinigami believed the blonde's precise evaluating skills came from the perilous training he undertook from his surrogate uncles and grandmother. The only problem he detested was Naruto's ostensible attitude whenever he started analyzing the situation along with an inscrutable smile.

"Look at the withered tree around her." Naruto surveyed his vicinity.

"Yeah…" Perplexed over the deserted populous of animals that habitat within a scale of perimeter around him, Kensei scowled. "What's with the toads or even insects that lived here? Her blood should attract animals here."

"That supported the fact that she's a hollow despite the lack of a hollow hole. Hollow's blood carried a distinctive odour that we couldn't smell but for animals and plants, the smell is considered pungent or toxic to them. She is the one the teddy hollow asked us to look for." Naruto knelt beside the woman and placed his palm inches away from the large gash on her stomach. "I'm going to use healing Kido to heal her and-"

"Woah! Hold on there, jerk! Heal her? What happen if she attacks us."

"Then we restrain her, beside, she doesn't even has any energy to retaliate to begin with." Focusing on the lessons he learnt from Retsu, Naruto channeled his reiatsu with perfect domination that he successfully altered the raw yet fierce reiatsu within him into a calm nature of serenity and soon, his palm leaked a smoothing green glow. "But, if she really attacks, I'm counting on you; I'll need all the back up."

Kensei nodded and held the hilt of his sword. Staring in awe, the silver hair shinigami witnessed his best friend's first performance of the healing art of Kido and noticed the wound's critical condition inclining to amelioration in a rapid pace.

The hollow opened her emerald eyes weakly and flinched when she saw two shinigami, especially the blonde with whiskers mark crouching beside her in such close proximity. "S-Stay away f-from me!"

"Don't talk." The blonde shinigami whispered with authority lace in his words. "I'm healing your wounds. It would be all over soon, trust me."

Although shinigami was eternal nemesis of the hollow, the female felt ensured by the blonde's statement.

"W-What do you w-want? S-Stay away from-"

"Stay calm. We're not going to hurt you." Naruto's attentive gazes were still fixing upon the injuries on the female hollow. "We're just trying to help."

"Y-You kno-"

"You're a hollow." Naruto deadpanned.

"T-Then-"

"A friend of yours begs us to find you. If we know a beauty like you are here, we're dashed here first hand and rescued you." The blonde shinigami smiled.

Kensei sweat dropped while unnoticed to the silver hair shinigami, the hollow was flushing in a streak of vibrant crimson.

"A-Aren't you afraid t-that-"

"You don't have the sufficient energy to fight, technically. I suggest you leave after I patch you up. If other shinigamis know about this, they won't let a weakened Adjuchas leveled hollow escapes."

The hollow widened her eyes. "Y-You-"

"Yeah, I noticed. You remind me of a shark and the latent reiatsu stored within you is an obvious give-away. Oh, by the way, I'm Uzumaki Naruto and the bitch behind me is Muguruma Kensei."

Kensei snorted.

"T-Tia…Halibel."

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Hirako Shinji yawned as he stood in line along with other graduates. Despite graduating in his fifth year, Shinji felt too bothersome to disclose his power until Naruto's persistent spars that revealed his true potential to the academy's headmaster. The principal eventually found out that Shinji had purposely diminished his potential as much as possible simply to escape tiresome missions in the future.

Now, his plans of leading an ordinary life as a shinigami were ruined, thanks to a fellow blonde.

But, it was all thanks to Naruto that he discovered the importance of friendship and confronting reality.

"What's taking Kensei and Naruto so long?"

"Sorry, jerk and I were taking care of a stupid mission." Shinji jumped when Kensei appeared behind him in complete stealth.

"Don't do that! Scares the shit out of me every time! I swear you learn this-"

"Yo!"

Shinji jumped, again.

"Damn it!"

Naruto smirked. "So, what did we miss?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, a yawn escaped Shinji's mouth. "Nothing much. The ceremony just started."

Kensei elbowed his partner, a haughty smirk tugged at his lips. "See, I told ya' that we're going to make it."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah right."

Disinterest with the attendance of the formal ceramony, Shinji's eyes drifted to the silver hair shinigami's foot and noticed a missing sandal. Omitting formalities weren't Kensei's trait despite his rowdy appearance, Shinji raised a questioning brow. "Dude, what happen to your shoe?"

Naruto grasped his mouth to stop his tempting laughter while Kensei sighed. "Long story."

"Silence!" Genryusai slammed his staff, commanding supreme authorities over the graduates before him. "Brace yourself, younglings. The graduation ceremony shall commence!"

_"Heh, wonder what squad I'll end up in."_ The Yamamoto heir grinned as he waited for his summoning.

Standing in the audience, Aizen adjusted his glasses and smirked.

"You spare those two pathetic hollows, my predictions are true after all. You're just the man I thought you are, Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto. And for that, my plan will follow accordingly and you will never be a threatening pawn in my chessboard. Not under my watch." The brunette muttered silently before vanishing into emptiness.

* * *

Heh, Mashiro made a little cameo!

Anyway. Almost half said yes to harem and another half said no to harem.

I'm still considering harem but then...I'm confused. Should I really do this harem business? O_o

And I'm still wondering what squad I should place Naruto in. Since Naruto is depicted as a all-rounder fighter, I'm wondering what squad he should be enlisted to.

By the way, you can look at Naruto and Kensei's relationship as sworn-brothers relationship.

Until next time...

Peace out.


	6. Before Crisis: An inevitable destiny

I have made up my mind to do a straight NarutoXYoruichi pairing but there will be a slight harem here and there. I apologise to those who wanted an all-out harem.

By the way, Merry Christmas!

_______________________________________  
**~ Before Crisis: An inevitable destiny ~**

(60 years later…)

Naruto ran frantically with a series of incredulous screams, a divine testament of his terror that he might be apprehended by his pursuer and experienced the horror as an aftermath from his capture. Panting tediously, the blonde suppressed all nugatory thoughts and focused in escaping. Although he was hoping for a brave man to intercede his pleading for a possible extrication of his current situation, Naruto knew it was futile to withdraw from his predicament.

When a murderous growled emitted from the pursuer was perceived, Naruto's natural speed of cognition stimulated his adrenaline to the peak. The last thing the blonde needed was a cascade of intense muscle spasm that would undeniably halt his pace and suffered immense pain from his captive. In all honesty, he was blamed for his quagmire; he knew his pursuer's personality twisted into a state of abrasiveness at that particular month but he was negligent and absently provoked her.

Taking a sharp turn, Naruto clashed into several figures and tumbled to the ground. Gathering his fortitude, Naruto stood up and caught a glimpse of several angered shinigamis frowning at the blonde.

"Watch where you're going, dumbass!"

"Are you blind?"

"Assholes"

Panic flooded his mind; Naruto dismissed the rude remarks and warned. "R-Run! She'll kill you!"

It was too late.

His pursuer stood before him.

Gulping in fear, Naruto pointed a trembling finger at the threatening entity. "Quick! Before it's too late!"

The shinigamis stared at the small frame in puzzlement and arched their brows. "Dude, it's just a cat."

The cat meowed innocently, her sunglow eyes fixed solely at the blonde and Naruto swore the black cat was delivering a sadistic smile. Bloodlust emanated from the cat lingered the atmosphere with an unpleasant sensation. Ukitake always taught the blonde to preserve an emotional equanimity in all critical situations in order to keep an analytical mind unfilled with turmoil that might cloud judgements but he just couldn't regain his mental composure at his present status.

Naruto didn't hesitate; he spun around and darted away from the site. His frightened scream echoed through the entire Soul Society, sending a disturbing shivers crawling up the spine of the entire male populous.

~~ (Two hours earlier) ~~

Sighing in relief, Naruto unsheathed his sword.

"Practicing Bankai I see." Yoruichi smirked when the blonde jolted up, unaware of her intruded presence. Crossing her arms below her ample bosoms, the Shihouin princess pouted. "Why didn't you inform me to train with you?"

"I thought you're busy working with Kisuke." Naruto wiped the bead of sweat from his temples. "Besides, you got your own duty to fulfil. I happen to finish paperwork faster than others thanks to a good-for-nothing alcoholic captain I have so I took the opportunity to train."

An impish grin tugged at Yoruichi's lips as she batted her eyelashes. "Oh? Is someone jealous of the relationship between me and Kisuke?"

"Not really." A subtle smile adorned Naruto's visage. "Without you around, I get all the freedom I want to visit the local bathhouse. You know, occasional peaking or some passionate orgies with the chicks. Maybe a little tour to the brothel in Rukongai here and there to satisfy my hunger. I have to thanks Kisuke's distraction, actually. If it wasn't him working with you all day, I won't get the pleasure I want."

The blonde sighed dreamily, oblivious of a fuming princess glaring furious splinters at Naruto.

"I-I-It is t-true?"

Shifting attentions to Yoruichi, Naruto could see inferno blazing in tremendous intensity behind her back. Flinching at the intimidating stare dread with menace, the blonde shinigami lifted his hand in surrender. "Hey, I was just joking. I didn't really-"

"Enough! No more lies! I will use you as my guinea pig for the new technique I developed a few months ago!"

Naruto arched a perplexed brow. As far as he was concerned, the princess wasn't a pugnacious warrior. The only plausible reason that compelled her with such hostility was one feminine issue. "Are you on your period?"

Torrent of wild winds erupted, circulating her well-endowed body. The ground shook as tyrant of vigorous jet stream stormed into the ground, generating thunderous electricity into every fibre of Yoruichi's being as her latent power surged dramatically to an inhumane feat. The back and sleeves of her uniform ripped to shreds in the process of the inclination of an increased of overwhelming power in a rapid pace by her utilization of the undefined technique.

Unfazed at the sight before him, Naruto smirked. "So, you don't wear bra underneath huh?"

Yoruichi roared a deafening war cry.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

~~ (Present) ~~

"You shouldn't lie to her, especially such unforgiving things you called a prank, Naruto-kun." A sigh escaped Isane's lips as she sat beside Naruto's bed. "Let this be a lesson to you. Never joke with such inappropriate things to a girl. It hurts a girl's feeling, you know?"

Naruto lay motionlessly in the bed, groaning at the pain inflicted upon him. "Will I be disfigured?"

"Unlikely. You have abnormal healing factor that defied description, Naruto-kun. Within days, the scratch marks on your face will be healed, leaving no scars whatsoever. Your internal injuries are recovering steadily as well."

"Good to know." Turning his attention to the tranquilized nature of his friend, the blonde smiled. "Congratulation. Today is your first day as the third seat of Baa-chan's squad. Good luck."

Isane flushed five different shades of pink and staggered. "I-It's n-nothing compare to y-your achievement, N-Naruto-kun. You've reached the rank I earned decades ago at a very young age. An impossible achievement that nobody had done and you did it. You're considered a prodigy in terms with your strength, skills and power. Nobody could match up to you in our generations. You're the most surprising and most unpredictable shinigami ever."

Naruto chuckled. "Believe it or not, I heard that line thousand of times. I'm no prodigy. I gain my arsenal of skills with torturous training. Nobody is born with exceptional sets of skills. I acquire power with my own blood and sweat. The path I walk is beyond arduous in order for me to push to the limits. Isane-chan, you're strong so don't underestimate yourself. Be proud of your achievement; be proud of being a third seat. Believe in yourself, that's how life depicts."

"Y-You're right."

The door creak opened, revealing Yoruichi standing on the doorway, an unusual pusillanimous feature plastered onto the princess's face. "I-Isane… can you spare me and Naruto-kun a few minutes of privacy?"

Deciphering Yoruichi's intention, the newly appointed third-seat smiled and left the room, leaving an unease silence to intrude.

"With all that chasing, you're tired, aren't you? Take a seat." Naruto gestured the Shihouin heir the chair beside his bed, previously sat by Isane.

Yoruichi nodded and ambled towards the chair hastily before settling herself down. Feeling the necessity to amend her mistakes, the Shihouin princess assembled her courage and spoke. "I'm sorry. I… I just couldn't control my emotions and let it get the best of me. I-I really didn't mean to hurt you but I thought you were speaking the truth… I-"

"It's okay, Yo-chan. If anybody has to apologies, it's me. I shouldn't joke about those kinds of stuffs." Naruto interjected with a warmth smile curled up his lips.

"B-But-"

"For the last time, I deserve it. I joked beyond boundaries and you scratch me with your frisky cat claws. Let's call it even, shall we?"

Yoruichi exhaled a relief breathe. "You're so forgiving, you know that?"

"We all have to take our own sides. Besides, it proves that my mastery in pranks have reached to the top. I should self proclaimed myself as the king of all prankste-" Naruto coughed painfully, clutching his chest by instinct. Solicitude over the blonde's health, Yoruichi reached out towards him, only for her wrist to be seized abruptly. "Gotcha!"

"N-Naruto-kun?"

A mischievous grin displayed on his expression, Naruto chuckled. "It was a joke. You should look at your face. Absolutely priceless!"

Restraining the natural urge to giggle, Yoruichi frowned. "Y-You… you're injured and you still joke around!"

"But you smile just now, didn't you?" The blonde smiled.

"S-Shut up!" A vibrant tint of crimson splashed onto the princess's cheeks. "Idiot!"

"But, I'm your idiot."

Yoruichi's flush deepened in colour as she caught sight of Naruto's attractive smile. Unable to resist the lustful temptation burning within her that was yeaning for the blonde's smoothing touch; the princess leaned forward to take the initiative. Comprehending the Shihouin heir's desire, the blonde awaited their lips to connect, readied for a passionate kiss. As their lips were inches apart…

"Are we interrupting something here?"

The pair jolted up and noticed several familiar figures standing at the doorway.

"We can visit the other time, you know?" Shinji flashed a teasing grin. "Since you guys are so concentrated on whatever you're doing, you didn't even sense us coming in from the door."

Laughing at the embarrassment Naruto and Yoruichi were suffering, Urahara smirked. "Or you can continue whatever you're doing. Please don't hesitate on our accounts. While you're at it, I'll go bring my camera."

"Perverts." Lisa frowned.

Shunsui wiped a prideful, rather comical tear. "I'm so proud of my boy!"

"Jerk got the girl huh?" Kensei scowled but sighed.

"I-I got some lieutenant work to do. Gotta go!" Without any hesitation, Yoruichi moulded into an air stream and vanished from sight.

"I hate all of you." Naruto mock pouted. "Ruining all my fun. What do you guys want?"

The visitors walked into the room and examined the spacious medical private chamber reserved specially for the blonde. Leaning against the wall, Shinji commented. "We heard everything from Isane and so we decided to come checking on you. It must be painful for you to get your ass owned by neko-san. Just coming in and making sure you didn't die on us."

"I'm fine. Where is Ku-chan? I'm hurt that she didn't visit me."

Kensei growled. "She has work to do in the Kido Corps, unlike certain carefree jerk! Same goes with Rose and Love. We're the only ones who could draw out some free times to visit you, ungrateful jerk."

"So you got a problem with me, bitch?"

"Yeah, jerk! Let's go!"

"You will pay-"

SLAP!

Naruto clasped his cheek and winced at the patronizing glare. "W-Why did you do that for, Lisa-chan?"

"Seriously? Joking about such shameful acts, you inherit all of the unwanted personality from our idiotic captain! Remember your post as our lieutenant, Naruto! What you did reflect to the characteristic of our division, bird-brain!"

"But I was just jok-"

SLAP!

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM!?"

"What's my problem? I'll show you what my problem is!" It took Kensei, Shinji and Urahara to subdue Lisa's raging charge on a certain blonde. "Let go of me! He clearly doesn't understand his place! Let go of me, bastards!"

Naruto stuck out his tongue, agitating Lisa's existed enraged status. Urahara, ineffectual in restraining the female shinigami, bellowed. "Calm down, Lisa! It was all a joke, calm yourself down! Damn it!"

Gripping her waist, Shinji screamed. "You should know him by now! He was just joking!"

"Fuck! Jerk, do something!" Kensei was losing his grip on the struggling Lisa. "I can't hang on much longer!"

"Oh? I sense a disturbance in my medical ward." Everybody jumped and witnessed a diabolical aura hovering behind Unohana Retsu. "There are other patients living beside this ward. Please keep the volume down of your mediocre quarrels or I will have to make sure there is peace in here. I hope the latter doesn't require my doing. Do I make myself clear?"

Gulping in fear, everybody nodded dumbly and Retsu retained a smile unfilled with malice. "Thank you for your understanding. The visiting hour is almost up. I will kindly suggest all of you to leave. If you may, lieutenant Hirako of the fifth squad, lieutenant Muguruma of the ninth squad, third seat Urahara of the second squad and third seat Yadomaru of the eighth squad. Captain Kyoraku, please stay. We got some business to discuss with your lieutenant."

The group sighed and obliged to the order, which Lisa shot the Naruto a fiery stare before leaving. Shunsui, aware of the typical topic of the conversation, swallowed the nervous lump in his throat and eyed the captain of the fourth squad warily. "… What is it, Hana-chan?"

When everybody left, a murderous intent filled the room with ferocious intense instantly.

"You have corrupted my innocent boy to a perverted man, captain Kyoraku. Most unforgivable." The smile that promised unimaginable pain was presented on the female captain's visage. "And you, Naruto-chan. You toy with people's feeling with such despicable jokes. You have crossed the line too far, young man. For that, you both require a lesson to improve your life's qualities. After our enjoyable session, the both of you will know how to repress the perverted nature within you"

"E-Ero-ji-san… do you suggest we run?"

"Y-Y-Yup!"

Shunsui and Naruto dashed out of the window promptly.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

(Next day)

"Do you see her, Shao Ling? The lady in that palanquin is the princess of the Shihouin clan, the sacred armourers. She will eventually rise to the top of her family's expectation and become the leader of the Onmitsukido. Her power will bring fame to both the noble clan and our lesser clans. We, of the main family, must give everything for her. Our power, our abilities, our sword, our body and our souls belonged to her."

"All of them?" A timid voice queried.

"Yes. All of it. That is our fate. From today onwards, you will be renamed as Soifon and carried out your duty as a faithful servant. It is your fate and destiny to serve her, as well as ours. You will live only for-"

A loud explosion erupted occurred on the bridge the princess was strolling; causing everybody to widen their eyes in trepidation. Raising their weapons, the personal body guards of the Shihouin heir stood beside her as the guardian of their sovereign. As the smoke clear, Yoruichi laughed, causing a perplexed commotion amongst her people, especially a certain young girl who viewed the princess with utmost admiration.

"That was a dynamic entry, Naruto-kun!"

"Epic isn't it! Crashing into the party with a smoke bomb and when nobody notices, bam! Seriously, your security sucks balls!"

Frowning at the reprimanded statement, Yoruichi turned her furious attention at her guards. "You heard him! I'm disappointed with the security here! Go fix it up, incompetence saps!"

"B-But… Naruto-sama's skills-"

"Excuses! Now go! Bunch of worthless ingrates!" The guard units scrambled in fear.

Naruto arched a brow. "I swear, you act and speak more and more like Ku-chan."

"I took lessons from her. Disciplinary Act One, mobilize your soldiers with force." Placing both hands on her exotic curved hip, Yoruichi laughed sadistically. "Best way to make your soldier work extra hard or only pain will come!"

"You got some serious issues." The blonde deadpanned.

"Take one to know one." The princess winked suggestively. "So, why do you storm in here for? Hope it isn't just for show."

"Training! Let's go!"

Without a moment of delay, Yoruichi discarded her grand yet exquisite golden kimono, much to her servant's dismay, exposing her shinigami outfit. "Race ya!"

"Can you beat me, that's a question."

The princess pouted. "We'll see about that!"

The pair vanished, morphed into a twin of jet streams with a low rumbling echo, sending the servants of the Shihouin clan in jeopardy while a flabbergasted Soifon was curious of a certain blonde who conveyed matters with her adored idol in such a casual manner.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Naruto and Yoruichi arrived at their usual training territory built by Urahara. Originally, the chosen place was formerly a cavern isolated from Rukongai or Soul Society but unknown to the populous, the lake hidden underneath the rocks contained an exceptionally lake possessing miraculous ability that accelerate the healing factor of any wounds on an individual's body. Urahara felt the obligatory of exploring the mystical site which held ambiguous wisdom that might prove vital for the future of Soul Society.

Within days, the laidback scientist demolished the entire cavern and built a spacious training section for specific people, cloaking the site with illusionary Kido in the process of hiding it from the general public. Adumbrating a possible drastic invention in the destined future, Naruto and Yoruichi vowed never to disclose the existence of the mysterious terrain for the sake of Urahara's research in refining precious minerals.

Naruto arrived in the training ground with a sonic blur, followed by the Shihouin princess, panting anxiously from their competition.

"I win!" The blonde declared.

"You cheated!"

"Nope! I win fair and square!"

Fuming with rage, Yoruichi frowned. "You grope my ass!"

Naruto smirked. "You never say no groping."

The Shihouin heir folded her arms with mock anger. "Bottom line is, you cheat!"

The blonde shinigami chuckled before converting his visage in a terrifying seriousness in mere seconds. "Alright, fun's over. Let's get down to business. The technique you presented yesterday is powerful. From what I see, it's a technique that focuses on offence and defence at the same time. Impressive, but it comes with consequences."

Naruto ambled towards Yoruichi and situated his palm on the princess's chest, resulting in a blushing fit. "W-What are you doing?"

His palm radiated a green glow of serenity, bringing warmth and peace in the princess's rigid stance. Yoruichi was aware of the blonde's proficiency in the healing art, generosity of Retsu's teaching which augmented Naruto's arsenal of skills but to what extent he could discharge the skills from his consummated lessons he received was a complete secrecy. Naruto was an enigmatic person to the princess, but the blonde understood the Shihouin heir's personality perfectly.

"As I have expected. Your technique is too dangerous." The blonde removed his hand from the princess's chest and cupped his chin. "Because of the overwhelming power flowing in your body suddenly, your body wasn't accommodating to the technique well. Even though it might be a powerful skill, your body will degrade. The tissues within you are being torn and healed instantly as you utilize the technique. It will shorten your life spam."

Yoruichi widened her eyes. "R-Really? I…didn't feel anything though."

"Of course. Your mind and body is too focused in controlling the sudden rise of power, the pain becomes a tickle to you. Yo-chan, listen to me, don't use that technique again. I don't want to see you getting hurt."

"…But…it's my technique! Something nobody has attained. I…"

Naruto sighed. "Alright. I'll help you in the technique but I can't use it. It will be a bump in the road but well, we'll get through it."

The princess arched a brow. "You can't use it? I was planning to teach you the technique!"

"No. This technique requires a female body to perform. Judging by the fact that you store all of the impulsive power on your back, hence the tear on the back of your uniform when the technique is applied, it's safe to say that only a female's body structure can handle the technique. My spine will break if I use it."

A smirk adorned on the princess's face. "I'll like your spine to break."

"Certainly. Now, let's practice our techniques beyond Shumpo. I developed a technique myself secretly a few days ago but yet to perfect it." Naruto channelled his fierce reiatsu into his veins, his sapphire eyes glowed a bright blue as an outcome. Snapping his fingers, ten exact copies of Naruto surrounded Yoruichi in a flash, starling the princess. "So, what do you think? They are the afterimages of using a high speed Shumpo and they have a mind of their own. I have yet to name this technique."

"Wow! Are they solid copies?" Yoruichi stepped forward and touched a replica. "They feel… real."

"There is a problem though." As those words were articulated, the clones burst and dissolved into breeze of winds. "…Yeah…that's the problem. There is a time limit for my… creation. Ten seconds is the max. I'm still trying to work on the timing expansion."

"Then we should come up with a name for our new techniques!" The princess chirped.

"Names? Hey, I got one for yours."

Yoruichi raised a questioning brow. "What's that?"

"Sexy Stripper technique!"

The Shihouin heir blushed. "H-How dare you!"

"Hey! Your technique make you strip-"

"It tears my sleeves and backs off, that's all!"

Naruto grinned. "And show the world that the great Shihouin Yoruichi wears a sexy thong!"

Disappearing from her position, Yoruichi reappeared behind the blonde and launched a volley of lethal kicks. Once her foot was connected into the blonde's spine, Naruto dissipated into a gentle breeze. Frustrated at the diversion Naruto created for himself, Yoruichi sped around the training ground. Not far away, the blonde concealed himself behind an enormous rock, chuckling at the princess's inability in sensing his presence.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Night had fallen, flicking stars swept across the vault of heaven with a few swell of dark clouds decorated in the sky. After a long tiring session of intense training, Naruto and Yoruichi were strolling towards their respective household together. The Yamamoto clan and the Shihouin clan coincidentally were located between separated junctions. Technically, both clans were claimed neighbours but were deadly rivals ever since the foundation of Soul Society.

Upon reaching the separation route, Naruto sighed. "I guess we're here."

"Yeah…"

For unexplained reasons, an instinct strife the blonde to do the unexpected. He grasped the princess in an affectionate embrace. "Yo-chan… I… I got something to tell you… the truth is… I…."

Naruto gently pushed Yoruichi away, staring his cerulean eyes into the princess's sunglow orbs. "I…"

"W-What is it?" The princess flushed a brilliant streak of red, waiting for the blonde's confession.

"I… gotta go. See you tomorrow."

In an instant, Naruto vanished into mere resonance of rumbling echo, leaving a disappointed princess behind.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Naruto sneaked into the province silently, his irregular mood changed wasn't capable of unwanted attention. All he needed to do was to mutely crossed the garden lengthened in a gargantuan magnitude, the elegant and rather vast living room, passed through the seemingly interminable hallway and he would reached his room; a definite feasible plan with only one possible obstacle, his grandfather.

Anticipated in precise caution, Naruto reached passed through the garden and when he step foot into the living room, Genryusai had already been expecting for his grandson's arrival in his chair.

"Hey, Jiji."

"It's that the greeting I get for worrying over my grandson's safety?"

The blonde smirked. "Come on, Jiji. You don't worry for me. I'm a grown up now!"

"To me, you're still the little foolish boy."

Naruto chuckled and sat beside his grandfather. "So, what is it do I deserve the honour of my most awesome grandfather's presence?"

The aged captain sighed. "Cut your formality blasphemy! Such a reckless child you are."

"Aww, I'm sorry Jiji. Want a kiss?"

The adoptive grandfather shattered his strict demeanour and laughed. "You're always the same. How have you been, my boy? It's been a while since you come back home from your division's barracks."

"You know the usual. A mountain load of paperwork. It's the most disgusting job ever! I can't believe I'm a lieutenant for almost thirty years serving Ero-ji-san."

"Shunsui might have a laidback personality, but he's wisdom and power is-"

"Unspeakably strong." Naruto finished for his grandfather. "Said that hundredth of times."

"Then I will offer you good news."

The blonde arched a brow. "What is it? I don't get to do paperwork anymore?"

"Quite the opposite. With several supports from some recognizable captains, we have come to a conclusion of promoting you to be one of us. A captain."

Naruto sighed in mock sadness. "Great. More paperwork. Kami has no mercy to my poor soul. Which squad am I taking over?"

"You will be informed during tomorrow's ceremony."

"That's fast. I'm promoted by tomorrow because of the lack of manpower?"

"You fit the criteria of being a captain long ago. Besides, the rebels are advancing with their troops. It won't be long before they started a full-fledge civil war between us. Those renegade shinigami will take any opportunity we could offer to them as a possible way to take over Soul Society. We, as the protector of this court must not allow such traitors to lay their filthy hands on the peace we have created. What we need now are potential fighters willingly to fight in the frontline of the battlefield and lead our warriors to victory."

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly before wrestling up to a standing post from his seat and ambled towards his room. "Yeah, I know. Just send somebody to tell me the venue and time for the ceremony. Hope it isn't a hassle."

"Naruto."

The blonde paused in his track.

"I'm proud of you."

Grinning in satisfactory, Naruto muttered softly under his breathe. "And I'm proud of you as well, Jiji. Goodnight."

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

"Father, please! You can't do this to me."

"You fool! You should know better than me, the day that tattoo was imprinted on your leg, you're destined to betroth to the heir of a greater clan and it happens to be the heir of the Kuchiki clan! You will wear that dress and attend your wedding ceremony tomorrow. Don't try escaping, I have ordered the entire Onmitsukido and my second division's troops to secure your room. If you are found guilty of escaping, you will receive the rightful punishment. Do I make myself clear?"

Tears flowing from her eyes, Yoruichi pleaded. "But father, I have never even seen the heir before, how could you-"

"Silence! Stay here and be good. What you're doing now is for the greater good of our clan. Your marriage is a proof of an alliance with the Kuchiki clan. It won't be long before we conquer all of the nobles' clan and proclaimed ourselves as the strongest. Now, do what is best for the clan and be obedient before I have men strip you down for a humiliating chastity test in front of my squad, insolent wench."

The Shihouin lord spun around gracefully before leaving the room, imprisoning his daughter in the confining room without a spare of glance at the sobbing princess whom was crying her sorrow into her hands.

"I-I'm sorry… Naruto-kun… I'm sorry…"  
______________________

What will Naruto's squad be? Most importantly, what is his squad in charged of? That's the most importance matter I have here.

And Yoruichi's fate finally caught up with her.

What will Naruto do?

Please review!

Peace out.


	7. Her Reflection

Sorry for the late update. I got University problems to attend so I'm rather tight in schedule. Sorry!

____________________________  
**~ Her Reflections ~**

Naruto crash opened the door, his breathe exhaling tediously and his sapphire eyes widened in dismay.

"I object! This wedding… I object!"

The guests of the supposedly harmonious ceremony frowned at the unorthodox, rather outrageous actions the blonde had done. Unnerved at the impudent intruder, a man from the audience stood up and lifted an accusing finger directed at Naruto. "Y-You insolent good-for-nothing piece of trash! How dare you interrupt this fine wedding from the arrangement of clans! We should throw you behind bars and-"

"Enough!" Yoruichi exclaimed, silencing the crowd. "Naruto-kun, you have arrived."

Unsettling at the monotonous tone, Naruto scowled. "Yo-chan. What's going on? What's with the wedding and the dress?"

"Isn't it obvious, I'm getting married."

"B-But-"

"You have never noticed my feelings for you. You only focus on yourself and act as if you don't care about this world. Don't care about me. You do things your own way and make decisions that only satisfied your own hunger or needs yet you have never sincerely ask for my opinion. You toy with my feelings like it was a joke to you, like it was a prank that you pulled. You never try to understand me, and now, I will torment you for your sins. I will make you regret the day you met me to the end of your life."

"Yo-chan! Wait! That's not true! Please, let me explain-"

"You may kiss the bride." The priest disrupted.

The unknown groom leaned forward and captured the princess's lips. Yoruichi, while kissing her spouse, winked at Naruto, compelling the blonde to collapse into his knees, weeping in grief.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

"D-Don't leave me… Yo-chan… no…." Naruto shot opened his eyes abruptly and bolted up. Grasping desperately for air, the blonde realised that he was in his bedroom. "So it was all a dream, huh?"

Chuckling at the unrealistic nightmare, Naruto suddenly took cognizant of the depth of his devotion, affection and love for Yoruichi. Although they shared loving embraces or romantic smooches, the pair never once confessed their true feelings. No matter how courageous the blonde was, or how he could fearlessly fought his legendary grandfather or surrogate uncles without quavering, he just couldn't say it.

"I love you. Three simple words and I don't even have the guts to say it out." Naruto muttered. "I'm such a fool."

Succumbing to fatigue, Naruto slumped into his bed and fell into the clutches of slumber.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

The Onmitsukido was similar to a parliament of governors who decided the fate of every assassin that worked for the corps. Nobody was permitted to reveal any visible weakness; shedding tears were a fundamental factor that would diminish a member's pride and dignity. Rules and regulations were the priority of every warrior under the command of both the second division and the Onmitsukido in which every assassin were trained to place their missions as the true objective; comrades were mere tool for victory.

Those practices disgusted Yoruichi. She discarded such theories and believed that only teamwork should one gained success. If it wasn't a certain blonde who showed her what was like to have true friends, the Shihouin princess might actually followed the traditional constitution passed down by generations.

But now, she was but a helpless woman.

"Father's orders are law... it is something I cannot alter... I'm sorry Naruto-kun." Yoruichi bit her trembling lips as tears fell uncontrollably from her sunglow eyes. "Be with you has open my eyes. I really cherish every seconds when I study with you, fought with you, eat with you and doing silly things with you. Please forgive me..."

The Shihouin heir muttered solemnly to the wall beside her bed. "W-We're not meant to be together..."

Hugging the fox plush toy Naruto bought for her a decade ago, Yoruichi wept her sadness and misery into her memento of her only lover.

~~~~~~(Ten years ago)~~~~~~

It was almost an arctic night filled with nebulous clouds obscuring the clarity of the night. Snows fell as if everlastingly, flooding the road and pavement with a layer of snow blanket. Naruto and Yoruichi, dressed in a pink and purple coat and scarf respectively, strolled the isolated park together, hands interlocked with each other securely.

"It's c-cold... Why did you bring me here?" Yoruichi examined the park disinterestedly.

"I-I have a present for you!" Naruto smiled.

The Shihouin princess noticed the blonde's constant surveying of his watch, queried in curiosity. "You look nervous. Are you alright? So, what's the occasion? Why are you giving me a present anyway?"

"Obviously there's an important occasion for me to give you a present. Now, close your eyes."

Arching a brow, Yoruichi pursued further. "Why are you playing sneaky?"

"Just close them!" Naruto whined childishly.

The princess giggled before shutting her eyes.

"Don't peek!"

"Alright!" Yoruichi inhaled an annoyed breathe.

"Peek and you're a pig!" Determined to verify the Shihouin heir's promise, the blonde waved a hand to ensure that Yoruichi's eyes were truly closed. Realizing that the princess didn't flinch, Naruto smirked and ventured towards the tree in front of him. As he reached the tree, the blonde crouched down and searched for a remote. Moments later, Naruto found his objective and tapped the red button on the device. Contemporary, various tiny light bulbs scattered randomly on the tree glittered colourfully. The main attention was the little red fox plush toy hanging idly on the branch.

Satisfied with the outcome of his handiwork, the blonde ran towards Yoruichi. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

The princess gradually opened her eyes. She was completely bewildered at the sight before her. "D-Did you do all this?"

"That's right. It's 12 o'clock sharp! Happy birthday, Yo-chan!" Naruto cheered. "I personally went to the Rukongai district to purchase those bulbs."

"T-That fox plushie?"

"I sew it all by myself after taking sewing classes." With a snap of his fingers, the red fox stuffed toy floated into Yoruichi's hands. "This fox will represent me in the future. Whenever you feel sad or have the desire to talk to somebody if I'm not around, talk to Foxy-chan."

"You remember my birthday..." The princess patted the fox while desperately suppressing her tears. Concealing her emotions, the Shihouin heir masked herself with a visage of seriousness. "N-Naruto-kun... please remember this..."

Naruto quirked a perplex brow. "What is it?"

"If one day, I throw Foxy-chan away... then you'll have to ...prepare yourself."

"Prepare myself?" The blonde's tone was drenched with worriment and anxiety, perturbed of Yoruichi's sudden sternness.

"It means..." Yoruichi hesitated, unable to truly state the truth to Naruto. "I've discarded you as well...friendship and everything."

~~~~~~(Ten years later)~~~~~~

"Tell me, Foxy-chan!" Yoruichi was suffocated by her own grief as her sob turned unbearable. "What should I do?! Talk to me! Aren't you Naruto-kun? Why aren't you talking to me?"

That night, the princess in despair slept with dried stain of tears on her reddened cheeks.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

"Are you sure about this, master?"

"Are you questioning me, servant?"

The servant bowed. "No, sir. But, using your daughter's happiness as bargain chips to-"

"Fool! The Shihouin clan has sustained a dishonourable defeat in the Yamamoto's hands for years. I will never sign a peace treaty agreement with the old fool and his imbecile grandson. The Kuchiki clan is weakened after Koga's revolt. When the time comes as both the Shihouin clan and Kuchiki clan merged, we will overtake the Kuchiki clan immediately. Ginrei will have no authority not to acknowledge the supremacy of the Shihouin clan after his son-in-law defected against Soul Society. With the combined forces of both clans, the Yamamoto clan is nothing but a hindrance to my greater goals. That daughter of mine is merely my tool to achieve greatness for my clan."

The servant, though loathing his master's action inwardly, spoke emotionlessly. "How about Naruto-sama? Yoruichi-sama has a close relationship with that man. Almost as close as lovers. If my guesses are correct, Naruto-sama didn't tangle himself in a relationship with Yoruichi-sama because of the clan's feud. If it wasn't the eternal rivalry between the Yamamoto clan and the Shihouin clan, they would have already become couples."

"Whatever. That kid is just an eye-sore in my plans. I have already planned methods to break those two up. Once that kid gave my daughter up, she will be doing my biddings willingly like a slut she should be!"

With that, the Shihouin elder crackled manically to the night.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

The day was an empyrean blue with decoration of several spores of clouds on the sky. The gentle breeze blew past, shaking the trees lightly as petals of green leaves sank to the ground. Naruto smiled as he stared apathetically at the blissful scenario. He's attending the promotion ceremony soon and he would be the first of his generation to reach the predominant level of superiority within the military force of the Shinigami.

Yet, there were still things he needed to do before the commencing ceremony started.

"I'm going to confess today! I'm going to tell Yo-chan how I truly feel about her." Naruto smiled.

A female servant strolled passed the courtyard which caught the blonde's recognition of his situation. An idea formulated in his mind, Naruto smirked before yelling for attention. The maid, perceived of Naruto's calling, ambled forward and bowed in unconditional respect. "What can I do for you, Naruto-sama? Are you hungry? Which cuisine do you crave? Is western appropriate for your taste? Or perhaps you need help in educations problems? History, geography, sex-ed?"

The blonde blinked, unable to register everything the maid fired with words. "Er... no? Anyway, I need your help in... relationship problems..."

The maid widened her eyes before smiling at her young master. "What kind of relationship problems?"

"You see... I... uh... my friend likes this girl for years. And he thinks that this girl likes him as well. He... doesn't know how to confess his feeling to her and he-"

"Young master, perhaps you should start a casual conversation with Yoruichi-sama and escalate the topics naturally to the relationships between the both of you. Have some courage, Naruto-sama."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "H-How did you..."

"I've been looking after you for years. I know your lying expressions. You staggered a bit every time you tried to lie." The maid claimed nonchalantly.

The blonde's face faulted. "I see..."

"Maybe you can try buying an engagement ring for Yoruichi-sama? If you need help with it, I can ask our fellow servants to help you. After all, a woman understands a woman better than a man, right? Don't keep Yoruichi-sama waiting for too long, Naruto-sama."

"You-re right! Let's go! Fuck clan's hatred between each other. Yo-chan comes first." Naruto studied his wrist watch. "My promotion is at five. It's currently twelve, there is definitely time for me to tell her."

"I will prepare for our excursion." Bowing in veneration, the maid swiftly sped away to notify other participants for the expedition.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

"Hey, I'm gonna visit Yoruichi. Won't be back for dinner, Kaien! Tell Ganju not to hang with those hooligans or I will kick his ass when I get's back."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The eldest Shiba took a sip of his tea and continued admiring the serene view of nature.

Kukaku grinned as she sped towards the Shihouin compound, unaware of her best friend's inextricable predicament.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Yoruichi, dressed in a mulberry kimono glamorized with elegantly sow orchid decorated on the fabric and an array of delicate jewelleries that embellished her beauty, sat gracefully on the banks of a lake. Today was considered an auspicious day for a grandiose wedding tradition to be held. It was the day where she will be forever separated from Naruto and yielded reluctantly to the fact that there was no serendipity between her and the blonde; the cruelty of the thread of fate that determined her solitude with a being she never known in her life. Being a warrior in the battlefield was merely an indifference to her uncaring father, what truly matters was her worth to the clan.

Reaching to the golden tiara situated on her head, the princess placed the invaluable statuesque accessory on the surface of the lake and watched the jewellery drifted along with the lake's pace. It was then a song invaded her mind that somehow reflected her dilemma.

"...Look at me." Yoruichi gazed at the replica of herself with a slight hint of sorrow adorned on her features. "You may think you see... who I really am."

"But you'll never know me..." Retrospection of her father's years of neglecting her existence, a tear slowly formed in her eyes. "Every day, it's as if I play... a part. Now I see, if I wear a mask... I can fool the world."

The princess swayed her purple fringes from her sight. "But I cannot fool... my heart..."

Her heart was the allusion of a certain blonde. It reminds of her first meeting with the blonde who didn't care to be a noble or flaunt his prodigious power. He was the outcast of the male's populous; kind in his heart but rare to find within the crowds. "Who is the girl I see... staring straight back at me? When will my reflection show, who I am... inside?'

Yoruichi watched as the personification of her soul singing along with her in the image of herself in the pond. "I am now... in a world where I have to hide my heart and what I believed in. But somehow, I will show the world what's inside my heart... and be loved for who I am."

The beautiful melody of her voice brought numerous butterflies dancing, encircling her in a spiral. "Who is the girl I see... staring straight back at me? Why is my reflection someone else I don't know? Must I pretend that I am, someone else, for all time? When will my reflection show who I am inside?"

As she sang the chorus, reminisce of her days with Naruto sprang to her mind. "There's a heart must be free to fly..."

Contemporary, it was the cold reality that the entwined of her destiny with Naruto occurred in the forefront of her mind. Tears uncontrollably cascaded down her reddened cheeks. "That burns with a need to know the reason why..."

"Why must we all conceal what we think... how we feel? Must there be a secret me, I'm forced to hide?" Her tears dripped to the pond, causing an aftermath of ripples. "I won't pretend that I'm someone else for all time. When will my reflection show, who I am inside?" Yoruichi's heart ached painfully as she saw her grieving replica crying in the pond as well. "When will my reflection show, who I am inside?"

As the song reached the epilogue, a servant walked briskly towards the princess. "Milady, it's time for you to get ready for the wedding ceremony. Lord Shihouin and Lord Kuchiki are in the hall, attending guests."  
**  
**Yoruichi wiped her tears, gradually regaining her mental composure. "I-I will get ready promptly."

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

"This isn't good!" Kukaku widened her eyes as she hid behind the wall of the garden. "I must inform Naru-baka! That captain of squad two is surely despicable, holding a secret wedding in order to prevent a possible disturbance. Yoruichi is so in a deep shit."

With allowing a single moment of delay, the Shiba princess vanished into a rumbling echo.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

The lord of Shihouin was currently entertaining the invited guests in a heated debate of the principals of applying tactics strategically in the art of war while observing any possible threat in the clandestine ceremony. If any members of the other clans discovered his conspiracy, there would, beyond doubt, that an uproar would occur to interrupt the wedding. To prevent than to await for a cure, the elder had placed several spies and sentinels from both the Onmitsukido and his squad two division to relay messages to him if any threats arose.

Suddenly, a blur of sonic manifested beside the Shihouin leader and an assassin of the clan appeared. Blending to the crowd, the soldier whispered to the leader silently.

Upon hearing the news, the lord gritted his teeth. "So that kid is heading this way huh? Interval his passage and fake a lie about what's going on. Do anything to stop him."

"Sir, based on the reports, Naruto-sama is a man whose knowledge rivalled even the minds of Sotaichou-dono. We believe concealing an army of soldiers behind our tracks would at least stop him if he decides to attack us. His power is not something we can underestimate. There are several times he manages to bypass our security that not even our lieutenant could cross the border without triggering the alarm. His knowledge in traps, deceptions and war must be put in consideration."

The leader rolled his eyes and growled. "Do whatever it takes to stop him!"

"Yes!"

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Naruto strolled towards the Shihouin palace with a happy tune while his purchased diamond ring stored in his pockets but paused in his steps when several ninjas from the Shihouin clan assembled around him along with a possible of hundreds of men under camouflage.

"Naruto-sama, you're not allowed to enter the compound." The guard eyed warily of the katana strapped on the blonde's waist. Legend had it that the heir of the Yamamoto clan wielded one of the strongest elemental zanpakuto that possessed power unparallel to many other zanpakuto. "We're under orders to keep all intruders away. Please understand."

Naruto raised a perplexed brow. "What's going on? Why can't I visit the compound? Surely the captain of squad two misses me for not visiting him, right?"

"It is because taichou-sama misses your presence, he asks sincerely for you to visit him some other day." A random guard lied smoothly.

"Really? Say, what's the occasion?"

"A simple house gathering to celebrate our anniversary."

Naruto grinned. "Anniversary of what?"

"Of.... uh...." The guard stuttered, desperately trying to envisage a lie that might fool Naruto. "Of the fame and reputation the Shihouin clan had earned throughout the years."

"So why do you need to think before you speak?" The sentinels gulped their nervous lumps in their throat. "For what I know, old man Shihouin will give detail information of what the ceremony is about to his men for he's a person who detests incompetence. For hesitating approximately three seconds and twenty-six milliseconds prove the fact that all of you are lying."

The guards bowed. "Forgive our insolence but whatever the case is, we cannot let you enter. That is the order."

Stroking his chin, Naruto smirked. "Really?

The guards were slowing reaching to the hilt of their blade, fear escalating in their soul. "That's right. Please retreat. We don't want any misfortune to befall on you, Naruto-sama."

To their surprise, Naruto raised his hand in a surrender manner. "Alright then. I'll leave."

Naruto spun around and walked away while the guards watched as he left.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

"Something is definitely not right." Naruto muttered as uncertainty filled his mind. "Usually, someone as snobbish and prideful like that old man Shihouin will probably hold a massive parade just to show off his clan's strength since everything he says has something to do with the clan's affair. Holding a secret ceremony is definitely suspicious. Besides, if I'm around, Yo-chan will surely pop out of nowhere but she didn't even come out to greet me means she too is in trouble. She's not a person who will stand still for five minutes in some boring crap and not wreck havoc."

It was then a pair of hands seized the blonde's collar and tossed him to a dark alley. Frightened of his mishap, the blonde screamed. "If you're a man, don't rape me! If you're a hot woman then please be gentle!"

His speech earned him a whacked to the head. "Ouch! That hurts!"

"Serve you right for spluttering rubbish!" Kukaku placed a hand on her waist.

"Ku-chan? What's the matter?" Naruto clutched the comical wound on his head. "Are you trying to rape me?"

The Shiba princess's eyes twitched in annoyance. "Stop joking around!"

"Alright, alright, sorry. What's up?"

"Yoruichi is getting married!"

"Oh.. okay..WAIT, WHAT!?" Naruto messed his hair, disturbed with the news. "You serious?"

"Duh! They're secretly trying to force Yoruichi to marry the Kuchiki heir."

"The Kuchiki heir? As in that kid? They want Yo-chan to marry a kid?"

"Yes!"

Naruto arched a brow. "How did you know about it?"

"I overheard from several servant's conversation in the compound. I'm just curious why Yoruichi didn't struggle against the marriage."

Naruto stood up, dusted his clothing and placed his thumb and index finger on his chin, contemplating momentary. "It isn't because Yo-chan didn't struggle; it's most likely she can't struggle."

Kukaku tilted her head slightly, pondering over the matter. "What do you mean by that?"

"She isn't the clan head yet, remember? It is her father who makes all the decision and judging from my personal perceptive of what the old man Shihouin's characteristic is, her father most likely forced her to marry that Kuchiki heir."

"What's the point? Gaining military strength?"

"Precisely, gaining military strength." The blonde emphasised the word 'strength' aloud. "Don't you get it? Amongst the noble clans, only the Yamamoto clan had a long term rivalry with the Shihouin clan for years which Ji-chan is trying to stop. However, old man Shihouin just couldn't forget the past and stored his petty rage against my grandfather. Recently, Koga from the Kuchiki clan rebelled against Soul Society and put the Kuchiki clan in shame but let us not forget the fact that even though Koga rebelled, it doesn't really shorten the military strength of the Kuchiki clan. If the Shihouin clan arranged a alliance marriage, not only can the old man Shihouin helps restore the Kuchiki clan's pride but also, take in control of the entire Kuchiki clan in the process. With that, that old man Shihouin can overthrow my grandfather."

Kukaku widened her eyes. "Wow... you sure are a genius that comes every millennium."

"Want my autograph?"

The Shiba princess sweat dropped. "Save it for others. Right now, we have more important things to do like planning how to stop the wedding."

"There are some ways to stop it." Naruto spoke in a tone of wisdom.

"Ways? What is it?"

"First, the diplomatic solution: ask politely with my badge of the Yamamoto clan pressuring that old man Shihouin. Quite unlikely it would work but still worth a try. Second, the threatening technique. We called in our brothers and sisters to stop the ceremony with us. Third option, we exposed his conspiracy. If all three options don't work, we have to resort to last solution." The blonde sighed in mock sadness. "We unleash hell to the wedding ceremony. Old man Shihouin will so be pissed if that happens but it's his fault for trying to sow discord between me and Yo-chan."

"I prefer to go with the last options straight away."

Naruto sweat dropped. "Then the whole Soul Society will be after us. If we go by my chronological order, at least we can plead that we requested a denial to the wedding but that old man Shihouin didn't oblige to the tradition."

"So why the entire secret wedding thingy?"

"Simple." Naruto pointed his thumb at himself. "Me."

"You?"

"To prevent me for intercepting his daughter's wedding, of course. Ku-chan, call in all of our brothers and sisters in arm. It's time to be wild."

Within seconds, the Shiba princess ransacked her pockets and dug a little tube out before pulling the string on the bottom, launching a shooting flame directly to the sky. Minutes later, the fireworks burst in the sky and shaped into a pair of criss-crossed katana.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Kensei had just completed a pile of paperwork. Satisfied with his accomplishment, he slumped into his seat and drank his wine as a reward for defeating the terror that was paperwork until a sudden binding light caught his attention. Kensei swirled his sight through the window and was startled to see the signal of trouble via the fireworks. "Somebody is in trouble. Mashiro!"

Audible footsteps were heard and soon, the door slide opened revealing the green hair ditzy girl.

"You call, Kensei?"

"Someone is in trouble; let's get to it as soon as possible."

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Shinji hated his job as lieutenant with a boiling passion. The stereotypical view of being a shinigami was equivalent to reaping souls but the truth was, even afterlife required officers to do paperwork. Worst was, it never stopped growing in terms of the amount of work that was needed to be done. "I just wish something drastic will occur so I can get away from this shit. In fact, I'll do anything to get rid of all these paperwork! Kami, why don't you show me some love?!"

At the exact moment, the fireworks alarmed Shinji. "Eh? Isn't that the symbol of danger? So Kami did hear my plead!? Thank you, thank you for showing mercy to me!"

In a sonic resonance, the fifth division lieutenant dissipated in a charge of air blast towards his destination.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Urahara scratched his head in confusion. It was simply strange for his captain, the wild and sometimes crazy Yoruichi Shihouin, not to make his life miserable. "Perhaps Kami is showing me love and gives me a day off."

Nodding at the commitment, the scientist decided to spend his day researching for the 'greater' good of Soul Society until he spotted a binding illumination and took cognition of the fireworks. "Oh, so Kami isn't showing me love? Why? What did I do to deserve this?"

Dropping his head in dismay, Urahara sped to the designated zone.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

As the lieutenant of the third division, Rose rarely had the time to leave his work station due to the hectic hours. "I just want to go to the human world and purchase that album I saw. Music really smoothen one's soul, I need that album!"

It was at that time Rose spotted the fireworks. "Goodies, more paperwork."

Narrowing his eyes to slits in sheer frustration, Rose sighed and morphed into a torrent of jet stream.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Lisa, though appointed as third seat of the eighth division, only took care of less paperwork. Surprisingly, Naruto didn't neglect his duties unlike his surrogate uncle and took responsibilities in his work. Signing the last document, Lisa placed the paper on top of the pile and sighed. "I hope the rest of the day will be peaceful."

Unfortunately, the dreadful window happened to be located on the front of Lisa's desk in which the female shinigami caught sight of the fireworks. "Perfect, life sucks for me."

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Yoruichi wore an exquisite silky white gown, a pair of silver gloves and a luxurious tiara on her head. Her sunglow eyes stared through her reflections in the mirror, her gloved hands clenched tightly into fists. "This is it, Naruto-kun. Our love ends here..."

Abruptly, the Shihouin princess noticed several fireworks bursting in the sky outside her window several miles away and widened her eyes of the forthcoming quandary. "...No... Naruto-kun found out about the wedding. I think he's going to do what I think he's going to do.

The imminent quagmire was absolutely unavoidable and definitely going to deliver an impact to the transcendent history of Soul Society.

* * *

I don't own the song "Reflection" from Coco Lee/Christina Aguilera

Wedding crash next episode!

Don't forget to send your hopes for which division should Naruto attend. Please don't choose the 2nd division and state what does the division focuses on.

Peace out


	8. The Neutral Party

**Sorry for the late update. I got a life! I'm attending University this year so please cut me some slack! Thank you.**

Anyway, let's move on.

**_____________________  
~ The neutral party ~**

Yoruichi had gave up hope.

Even if Naruto barged in and caused an ugly commotion, her father would do anything within his power to ensure the success of her marriage.

The only problem was: what was the enigmatic blonde planning?

Praying silently, she could only ask Kami for Naruto's safety.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

"Thanks for calling me here. God, you don't understand how much paperwork I've avoided thanks to you, pal." Shinji shook his fellow blonde's hands enthusiastically. "So, what's the problem? Why call us here?"

Naruto only nodded. "Long story. Allow me to shorten the whole content. Yoruichi is going to be married and I need all of your support for the sake of my plan."

"Your plan?" Everybody queried in deep curiosity

"That's right." A subtle smirk plastered on the blonde's comely features. "Now, about my plan…"

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

The guests had arrived. Everybody was chatting among themselves, either perplexed with the age differences between the groom and the bride, the willingness of either parties or the happiness that both the groom and the bride attained. Knowing the temperamental characteristic of the Shihouin leader, the wise nobles suspected a possible forced marriage but due to circumstances, they held no rights to interfere the internal affairs between the Kuchiki and the Shihouin clans.

Yoruichi, dressed in her elegant white dress, walked towards the chapel in an unusual tranquil gait, accompanied by several guards and maids.

Her eerily impassive eyes were what truly frightened her companions.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

"That's the plan." Naruto beamed delightfully.

"That's the plan?" Kensei, after listening to the blonde's elaboration in rapt attention, questioned doubtfully.

"Yup, that's the plan. It would definitely work. Trust me." The blonde assured.

"Logically, it might work." Lisa stroked her chin. "Let's just hope Shihouin taichou handles the matter peacefully."

"I doubt so." Rose countered. "Shihouin taichou is a man who does things without thinking the consequences beforehand. And he is not a man who listens to reason. I'm afraid your plan might not have a high percentage of winning."

Mashiro tilted her head comically in confusion. "Why not? Why can't we just go in and start kicking asses?"

"Cause we will be arrested for invading private property, assaulting nobles, interfering with clan matters, attempting murder and many more. Should that happens; even Yamamoto sotaichou-dono could do nothing to wipe our sorry asses." Kensei crossed his arms. "Right now, the best solution is the diplomatic solution Naruto has said. Violence isn't always the best solution to all problems."

"But I heard, if violence isn't solving our problem, then we're simply not using enough violence." Urahara invaded the conversation.

"Shut up, baka! I can't believe somebody like you would listen to bullshit like that." Kukaku placed a hand on her hips.

The lazy scientist arched a brow. "Bullshit? The literal definition of bullshit simply refers to a cow's excrement in which-"

"SHUT UP!" Naruto bellowed in frustration. "Yo-chan is in trouble. As friends, we must do something."

Somehow, Mashiro flushed a shade of pink before timidly asked. "W-Will you do this for me- … uh… us if something happens?"

"If mishaps bestow on any of you, I will definitely be the first one to help, no matter what." Naruto smiled. "Definitely."

His words, personalities, actions and maturity were the sole reasons why Naruto was the leader of their little nameless team.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

The time was up.

Yoruichi ambled towards her soon-to-be-husband along with her father.

The nervous, yet unwilling groom, Kuchiki Byakuya, heir of the Kuchiki clan, heard rumours of the unorthodox manner the Shihouin heir possessed who was also a famed pioneer in both assassinations and battle strategies. But, he was startled to see a beautiful woman with an angelic facial features walking towards him who had a palpable quality of true grace, albeit the undesired rumours circulating throughout Soul Society. Though, Byakuya noticed the poignant sadness displaying on her expressions.

The guests clapped as Yoruichi walked the red carpet to her commitment of marriage until…

"I OBJECT! STOP!" Everybody twirled their attention towards the invader while the princess was stunned beyond cognition as she registered the voice.

"Who're you?" A random guest demanded.

Naruto took out a badge and showed it proudly to the attendances. "I'm the future successor of the Yamamoto clan, Naruto Uzumaki Yamamoto."

The guests widened their eyes, silence intruded.

Enraged with the blonde's insolence, the Shihouin head spat. "You have the guts to show your face here, Uzumaki."

"Of course I do. I'm pretty shameless as well, ya' know?" Naruto sneered. "I come in peace as I'm merely here to object the wedding."

"And what's next? You're going to drag my daughter with you? In case you don't know, let me remind you that offending a clan head is a major crime that ranked on par with murder."

Naruto smirked. "Under the Act of Clan's Affair, section 2 of the fundamental basic of offence, unless the clan head received physical or mental injuries, a passerby is not responsible in any crimes whatsoever. I'm obeying the law of marriage and objecting this wedding legally."

The Shihouin leader gritted his teeth. "Fool. Guards, capture him!"

At that exact moment, the remainders of Naruto's group dropped beside the apathetic blonde, encircling him with their swords drawn. Kensei warned. "Put your weapons down, soldier, or else…"

"You dare defy my orders? Seize him!"

"Seize us and all of you will be beheaded." Naruto murmured silently, a tone laced with authority and intimidation. "Old man Shihouin, I respect you as a father, as a leader and as a captain. But-"

"Seize him now!" The Shihouin head ordered in frustration.

Naruto pointed his index and middle fingers at the Shihouin leader. "Rikujokoro."

Six golden planes of energy slammed into the Shihouin head's waist, immobilized him in the process. "I've said, I merely come in peace. Don't force me to resort violence, old man Shihouin."

The guards retreated warily.

_"All according to plan" _Naruto smirked inwardly. _"Once the leader falls, his men would fall as well."_

"How dare you attack me with such petty spells! Free me at once or else, I would tear you apart once I break free!"

With a snap of Kukaku's fingers, the Shihouin leader was unable to speak, courtesy of the Shiba princess's spell. "Sorry, he's too irritating."

"Thank you, Ku-chan. Anyway, I'm here to tell a story. A story that shocks me in many degrees. A father, unreasonable and selfish, is willing to sacrifice the happiness of his own child, his own daughter for the sake of power and status. This father was unable to forget the past. He clings to the past so much, he believes that being an avenger is his goal in life. Yet, he loses sight of the joyous opportunity around him just to create his own monopoly in this world."

The guests settled down, their loyalty quavering as they continued listening.

"I am not being rude to the clan heads nor trying to shift your allegiance to my side. I want everybody here to use their common sense, their logics to see this issue and make your own decisions. Let us imagine we're standing in the shoes of the poor girl whose father banishes her from having her own happiness for the sake of the clan. Can all of you here feel the pain she has to bear? Don't answer the rhetorical question because I can give you the answer right now: no!"

Chattering started to occur among the guests.

A guest stood up. "It is Yoruichi-dono's duty to-"

"How about I request for your immediate dismissal from your current status just because I suspect your incompetence in your work?" Naruto interjected, causing the guest to mute. "What is the definition of 'sense of duty'? Is it by all means: I have to accomplish our quest at all cost? Even sacrificing our own dignity to fulfil my goal? What's the purpose of life if our life revolves around constant sense of duty and in the end, neglecting happiness that we should seek to reach?"

"We're shinigami, not living beings." Another guest argued.

Naruto raised a brow. "Really? How about, starting from now on, you stop eating and breathing? How's that for a change?"

"What nonsense are you-"

"You said it yourself; we're not living beings but shinigami. Stereotypically, we don't eat so why bother? When we come to the terminology of life, everything that lives are part of the term called living beings. We deserve the rights to find our own happiness, rather than being a chained butterfly. Yo-chan deserves to find her own happiness. Look at the groom." Everybody turned their attention to Byakuya. "That kid is not even at the age of marriage and now, you guys are forcing him to marry somebody who can be her godmother!"

"Age doesn't matters." A noble scoffed in which Naruto simply grinned.

"That only depends on situations. I remember you. You're the noble who just have a baby girl a few months ago, right?"

A cold bead of sweat formed on the noble's temples. "Yeah?"

"How about this, I'll arrange her to marry my grandfather by tomorrow."

The noble widened his eyes in utter shock. "What nonsense are you talking about? Yamamoto sotaichou-dono is simply too old for her. Besides, she's just a baby."

"But age doesn't matter." Naruto quirked an impish smirk as the noble was staggering at his speech. "Back to topic, I'm not here for a confrontation style of disputation. I'm here to dwell this problematic issue of settling our clan's feud once and for all. Violence isn't the absolute way to solve problems. How many people die unnecessarily during the last clan wars centuries ago? Thousands, perhaps?"

Angered at the Yamamoto heir's statement, a guest yelled. "Are you saying that our war was all for nothing?"

"Absolutely. If war solves problem, then why is old man Shihouin still planning a coup against my grandfather? Blood is an omen of carnage and hatred; it flows never-ending once it is spilled. All I want is to resolve our clan's resentment between each other. Is it really entertaining to send spies to other barracks or watching your own men died in the battlefield? Because, by a child's IQ, such isn't entertaining at all. Why can't we use this energy to resort in peace and harmony? Isn't that what we preach for?"

"Silence, child! You're young and inexperienced. You know nothing about politics so I suggest you leave." A noble warned indignantly.

"I may be young, I admit. I'm inexperience in politics; that's a fact. But I know one thing for sure, you live your life in the past, that gentleman over there lives his life in the present, I live my life in the future. That is what the future generations require, living a life in the future. Not the strict law of traditions that binds us, preventing us to grow our wings. Not the obstinate councils that believe following regulations blindly is for the betterment of the society. No, such will only degrade the population in this world."

"Are you saying that we should dispose the laws set by our ancestor?" The noble queried.

"No, I'm saying we should be flexible in life. I don't see any point in this marriage. Yo-chan's sacrifice is not going to result in a happy ending, that's for sure. Suffering is what really will happen. Be wise and ask yourself, are you living a life like a bootlicking lapdog for the sake of survival, or are you just wishing for a peaceful life in which bloodshed isn't your way of life."

Everybody pondered, except the Shihouin leader who was firing vicious splinters at the blonde. Nevertheless, Naruto ambled towards Yoruichi and gently held her wrist; his touch smoothed the princess's rapid heartbeats. The blonde's pair of ceruleans eyes filled with warmth, blowing her fear away, was gazing at Yoruichi's sunglow eyes. "I will rather Jii-chan strips me off all of my powers and allowed me to live in Rukongai the rest of my life with Yo-chan as average civilians, rather than being wealthy and unable to feel true happiness."

"N-Naruto-kun."

"Beautiful speech." A few claps were heard. "Splendid indeed."

Naruto, recognising the voice, shifted sights to the owner of the intruder and was stunned to see three familiar faces. "Ukitake-sensei, ero-sensei, baa-chan? What are you three doing here?"

Retsu smiled. "I will certainly prefer to be addressed as, Kaa-chan. Now, say it with me, Ka-"

"We're here because we're afraid you're unaware of your promotion this evening so we went to your house, but you're not there so we continue searching until we receive news that you're in a wedding. But seriously, Yoruichi-chan, the years have been good to you. Look at you and that fine body, damn!" Shunsui whistle lecherously as he ogled at the dress which embellished the princess's exotic curves. Yoruichi, in the other hand, suppressed her blush. "Few years ago, you're underage. Now, you're a full-fledge devilish spice girl ready to rock the world like a ho-"

Jushiro, aware of the escalation of his best friend's verbalization, immediately injected. "Ah! We heard everything, Naruto. We're proud of you. You got our support. Yoruichi-san shouldn't deserve being with somebody she doesn't love. As captain of the thirteenth division, I, Ukitake Jushiro, object this wedding."

"That's right. I, Unohana Retsu, captain of the fourth division, second the proposal of objecting this wedding."

"I, Kyoraku Shunsui, captain of the eighth division, second the proposal of objecting this wedding as well."

"No way… the senior captains are rooting for that kid." Uproar was heard, nobody was sure what exactly they should do. One of the guests, recalling Shunsui's speech, arched a brow. "Wait a minute, what do you mean by promotion, Shunsui-dono?"

"Exactly what it means." Retsu smiled. "Naruto-chan is going to attend for his captaincy promotion ceremony this evening. All of you are welcome to watch."

"I-Impossible. Attaining bankai requires a shinigami to train at least for a century and that doesn't guarantee they will definitely achieve bankai. How could he achieve bankai within half a century? That's blasphemy!" A noble claimed.

"Naruto-chan has already fulfilled the requirement of being a captain. He has achieved bankai. He got the supports of the majority captains within the court and he has the perfect attributes of being a captain. Besides, we are currently in the rebel era, people like Naruto are rare to find. It is only natural that we promote him to be a captain."

Upon hearing the news of Naruto's promotion and listening to his speech, several nobles raised their hands, signifying objection. It was contagious; the numbers of rejection grew in an unbelievable pace. Naruto, satisfied with the majority of the attendance siding him, released the spell that bound the Shihouin leader. Kukaku dismissed the mute spell as well.

Gaining freedom, the Shihouin elder narrowed his eyes at the blonde who ruined his plan utterly. Unable to calm his aggressive emotions, he charged towards Yoruichi and placed his sword by her neck, holding his own daughter as a hostage. The Shihouin princess, unable to take cognizant of the situation, could only widen her eyes in disbelief. "F-Father? What a-are you doing?"

"Shut up! Stay away from me, all of you."

"Whoa, calm down, old man Shihouin. Didn't I say already, violence doesn't solve everything."

"Silence! You cross my border line too far, kid."

"Shihouin-san." Shunsui held the hilt of his sword. "Like the kid said, violence is not the best solution for all problems. Let it go."

Naruto sighed. "If the past is so unbearable, then forget it and move on."

"Forget it?" The Shihouin leader chuckled in malevolence. "Never! Your grandfather humiliates me for the last time. I fought this empire for him and what I get? Only a lofty status!"

The blonde shook his head in disappointment. "I pity you. You just don't get it at all."

Without hesitation, Naruto grabbed the hilt of his blade and murmured. "Fujin Hyogatsu, Ninth style: Akuma Shinkan Kaen" **(Demon Silence Blaze)**

Within split seconds, the blonde vanished into a sudden burst of air stream and reappeared behind the unnoticed Shihouin elder. The Shihouin leader widened his eyes and gradually turned his head back, only to see Naruto slowly sheathing his katana. At the precise timing, the blonde sheathed his sword completely in an audible "tick", simultaneously, the Shihouin leader coughed out blood as he released his grip on his daughter and fell into his knees.

"Once the demon kills, he slices his enemy's internal organs, for which one can train their body to withstand fatal injuries, but one cannot train their internal body to withstand fatal injuries. Your stomach, liver, spine and tendons are damaged, but with intensive care under baa-chan, you will be healed in no time." Naruto sighed as he watched Yoruichi tending to her father's wound.

"F-Father… it would be alright. J-Just be okay!" Tears swelled in the princess' eyes. Despite the abuses she sustained throughout the years from her father, he was still her father after all.

The Shihouin leader beckoned her closer so he could whisper to her; Yoruichi obliged and bended forward. "W-We will go… together…"

Naruto, sensing a plausible danger, screamed. "Yo-chan! Watch out!"

It was all too late.

A dagger, hidden under the Shihouin elder's sleeves, pierced through Yoruichi's stomach. The princess collapsed to the ground as blood uncontrollably gashed out from her wound. "F-Father… why?"

"…If I die… you will die with me…"

Dashing to the princess side, Naruto subsequently kicked the father with immense force, launching him towards the opposite wall. The blonde crouched down beside Yoruichi, his hands radiated a serene green glow and channelled the healing energy into the princess's abdomen before pulling the dagger out. "It's going to be alright, Yo-chan. Hang on…"

"…N-Naruto-kun…"

"It's futile." The Shihouin leader emerged from the debris, clutching to his chest in the process. "I coated the dagger with lethal poison. She will die within an hour… with me."

Naruto's eyes glinted with malice and rage as he glared fiercely at the Shihouin elder. "You've cross my border line too far as well, asshole."

Abruptly, a gargantuan volume of threatening spiritual pressure crashed brutally upon the church, causing cracks to embed on the walls. The vehement pressure was so strong, even captain-level shinigami found it hard to breathe properly. In a spur of moment, the Shihouin leader swore he saw Naruto's eyes glowing a sinister blue and his aura shaped into a diabolical dragon. "You're under arrest, old man Shihouin, for murder and treason! Men! Apprehend that sinner!"

Yoruichi nudged the blonde for attention. "N-Naruto-kun… please… don't! H-He's my… father… please don't arrest him…"

An ominous shadow casted over his eyes, Naruto whispered gently. "Yo-chan… I'm afraid this is one thing I cannot obey."

"No… Naruto-kun!"

The guards cuffed the Shihouin elder's hands and brought him away for his sentences while Yoruichi helplessly watched her father being transported to jail. Retsu knelt beside the fatally wounded Yoruichi and examined her injuries. "Baa-chan, by my limited powers, I cannot heal her. Please, baa-chan, you must save her!"

Retsu simply smiled. "I can feel your love for her, Naruto-chan. The poison hasn't reached her organs; she is not yet under critical state."

Spreading out her palm, Retsu's arm radiated a vibrant green glow and placed it above the wound. "Naruto-chan, it's time to go. Your promotion ceremony will commence soon, let us take care the situation from here."

"But-"

"Naruto-kun…"

The blonde clasped the princess's wrist and brought it gently to his cheeks. "I'll stay. I don't care about status. As long as you're okay…"

"N-No, Naruto-kun… go for your promotion. I will be okay… with Unohana taichou's assistance; it won't be much of a problem… just go…"

Naruto's grip got tighter. "I won't leave you here!"

Kensei sighed and placed a comforting hand on his best friend's shoulder. "We'll take care of her."

"Didn't we agree?" Shinji folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "Whoever gets to be promoted must do whatever it takes to be promoted? Are you breaking our promise?"

"We will take care of neko-chan!" Mashiro cheered. "So, don't be like a sissy girl and get going!"

Kukaku grinned. "Though I'm jealous, but Yoruichi will be fine with us. Now get going or I'll kick your ass all the way to the world of the living!"

A joke formulated in his mind, Urahara scratched the back of his head with a mischievous grin tugged at his lips. "Yeah, get going, Naruto. Or bossy girl will really kick your ass!"

"What did you say, mad scientist!?"

"Thank you for referring me as a mad scientist, Kukaku-san."

"I'm so going to kill you after this."

"With pleasure."

The audience guffawed.

Naruto swirled his attention to Yoruichi. "Then… I'm going off… I'll be back. I promise."

"…I know you will." The Shihouin heir smiled affectionately.

Wrestling to a standing position, Naruto patted Kensei's shoulder. "Take care of her, brother."

"Will do, jerk." Kensei grinned.

"Bitch." Naruto chuckled lightly before disappearing in a sonic blur.

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

"You've finally arrived, Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto." Genryusai, in all his glory, stood at the top of the Sokyoku hill.

Naruto dusted his pants and sighed. "Sorry, got held up by something."

"I see. Very well, are you ready?"

Naruto surveyed the surrounding. Only a few captains were present to witness his examination. Retsu, Shunsui and Jushiro's disappearance was comprehendible, but for a few others not to attend this grand ceremony was simply absurd. "So, only Ginrei-san and a few other captains are present?"

"The others are handling some… issues. You only need to be worried of the test ahead, Naruto."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Instantly, the entire hill was slammed with a tremendous spiritual pressure nearly rivalling the captain commander's, astonishing everybody, including Genryusai himself.

Naruto's eyes were the effulgence of blue, his grip tightened by the hilt of his sword. "Let's get wild! Bankai!"

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

Yoruichi was bedridden and could only administrate her duty a few weeks later. The poison was depleted completely and was replenished with nutritious vitamins. It had been hours since Naruto left for his promotion yet he still hadn't returned by her side. She was worried in concern for the blonde's welfare and at the same time, fearing for her father's current situation in trepidation.

It was then a familiar frame materialized beside her. "Are you alright, Yo-chan?"

The princess smiled lovingly. "I'm fine. Unohana taichou said I would be recovering in few weeks time."

"That's a relief." Naruto sighed.

"So, how's your promotion? Did you…?"

Naruto frowned. "I…"

Yoruichi, knowing the blonde's character, knew Naruto was a person who couldn't accept failure. That's why the blonde worked tediously to gain acknowledgement; his unsurpassed prowess was all gained from hardship. "You're definitely going to get a new opportunity soon. Don't give up, Naruto-kun. Even if the world detests you, I will always stand by your side."

"You promised?" The blonde gave an irresistible puppy eyes.

"Yup!"

Naruto pointed his pinkie out. "Pinkie promise."

Yoruichi curled her own pinkie fingers around the blonde's.

"I got something to tell you though…" The blonde sighed.

"What is it?" Yoruichi asked, clear solicitude adorned on her features. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah..." Suddenly, the blonde's smile widened to a smirk. "I got promoted."

The princess's jaw dropped. Momentarily, her face flushed a streak of crimson. "You lied to me! Y-You're being naughty!"

Naruto smirked. "I didn't lie! In fact, you only assume that I'm applying that my promotion was a failure but hey, I'm Naruto, the best actor in the universe. Besides, there is nothing I can't accomplish unless I don't want to."

Yoruichi folded her arms childishly. "Apologize to me this instant!"

Naruto whined in a juvenile tone. "Why must I? Oh? Are you getting angry at me, Yo-chan?"

"I'm not going to talk to you until you say sorry to me!" The Shihouin princess huffed.

The blonde simply laughed.

"So… how's my father? Is he…"

The ambience in the room dropped negatively dramatically. Naruto shrugged nonetheless. "Not sure. He might be sentenced for life imprisonment or perhaps death sentence, who knows? Committing treason is intolerable, that's for sure."

"I see…"

The blonde held the princess's hand, his fingers stroking her fingers tenderly. "Sometimes, shit just happens. You shouldn't be too emotionally subjective towards a case just because it coincidentally relates to your father. His notorious affair is well known throughout the years, it's a fact."

"I know… but no matter what he does, he still is my father."

Naruto sighed in defeat. "I will try to make sure he gets life-imprisonment. No promise though."

"I understand." Yoruichi smiled benevolently. "Thank you."

The blonde chuckled. "No problem."

~XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX~

"The two are getting along very well, aren't they?" Jushiro exhaled a blissful breathe. "Such couples are hard to find nowadays."

Retsu couldn't help but smile. "They sure are."

"They should start making babies-" Shunsui was unable to complete his statement when he was whacked by the head.

"I heard from Ginrei-dono…" Jushiro placed his thumb and index finger on his chin. "He's planning to transfer his grandson, Kuchiki Byakuya, to Naruto's new division."

The perverted captain comforted the comical bruise on his head. "Then I certainly hope Naruto doesn't give that kid hell, because he sure will make his life a living hell as Naruto's disciple."

The three captains laughed aloud.

* * *

Please review.


	9. Nightmare of a Reality

___________________________  
**~ Nightmare of a reality ~**

It was nightfall. The glittering stars spread across the dark galaxy, shimmered its beautiful lights to Soul Society. The moon shaped into a perfect crescent radiated in a dim yet soporific glow that tired even the least lethargic of a person in the plane of heaven. Springs arrival brought the cherry blossom to bloom under the solitude moon, reflecting a pink afterglow from the faint ray of light.

Naruto, exhausted from the promotion of captaincy, strolled towards his new chamber in his barracks. As he reached his destination, the blonde stood outside of his door and sighed.

He finally reached to the peak of the battle cycles.

Surprisingly, amongst his cherished friends, he was the first to achieve absolute recognition and strived to the top.

"Tomorrow will be a better day." Naruto smiled and slid opened his door, smelling the scent of his new room that he would be staying for, probably, the rest of his shinigami career. "And I thought I'm the last among my peers to become a captain."

Chuckling at his contradicting thoughts, the blonde took a step forward and glanced around his new spacious room. Invaluable yet elegant furniture decorated and placed in the most beautiful, manageable ways throughout his chamber. Although most of the furniture was classed in typical traditional oriental fashion, Naruto didn't mind the ancient choice of properties set in the room. It reminds him of home; definitely his grandfather's handiwork.

Naruto ambled around the room, inspecting every single corner until he stumbled across a vase filled with a few mixed yellow and purple Gladiolus flowers. The blonde chuckled softly and reached towards the petals of the flower, stroking gently at the petals intact with the sword lily. The only person he knew who loved the Gladiolus, otherwise known as the sword lily, was a certain Shihouin princess.

"Yo-chan…" Naruto trailed off, smiling at his lover's gift.

Swirling his attention to the study table beside him, he noticed a letter. Curiosity filling his thoughts, Naruto took the letter and examined it, detecting any source of reiatsu left behind and was astounded to his discovery.

"Aizen?" Raising a brow, Naruto opened the letter and found a paper. A neat font written clearly on the middle of the sheet of paper sparked perplexity from the blonde.

_"Join me…"_Naruto dived into a deep contemplation as he stared at those two words.

All thoughts were casted aside when a bright light engulfed him, swallowing him into the realm of his mindscape.  
_  
_XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

Naruto opened his eyes and he found himself standing on the cloud designed platform in his mindscape.

"Fujin Hyogatsu?"

A strong current of jet stream morphed into a gigantic serpent and gradually moulded into a celestial dragon. Glowing blue eyes stared through the impassive pair of cerulean eyes of Naruto's.

"Why do you send me here for?"

"Kyubi senses a disturbance."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "Disturbance? What do you mean?"

The dragon growled. "The letter, Naruto. He senses a horrible future and transmits the scene to me after you touch the letter. I felt the desire to show you the horrifying scenario I seen through your tenant. With my duty in check, I will not allow the future to turn reality. I cannot afford the future I seen from the scope the fox shown me to happen in your world. As your Zanpakuto, I cannot let you fall from grace."

Naruto studied his mindscape warily, scratched his head in confusion and eyed the dragon before him. "What are you talking about? What do you mean the future you seen from the fox? What future turned reality? What do you mean I fall from grace?"

"I will show you then. The future that even I was scared when I witnessed it, you shall see it with your own eyes."

"W-What?" Naruto didn't finish his statement as he was enveloped in a ray of light before disappearing from his mindscape.  
_  
_XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

As the light dimmed into nothingness, Naruto tumbled forward and fell onto the ground. Cursing incoherent with both rage and confusion, Naruto wrestled himself into a standing position and dusted his clothes. His eyes widened in shock when he scanned his surrounding.

He was currently standing in an aftermath of a carnage and chaotic scenario within a modernised city. Vehicles of all sort vacant or destroyed, rubble or massive craters lied in all scales of vicinity, collapsed building lay in ruin and eerily emptied street; Naruto was standing on an empty street. The scene was definitely caused by a terrible battle as Naruto could feel a foul reiatsu lingering in the atmosphere, enhancing the ruin semblance of the wreckage.

"What the fuck is going on?" Naruto walked around the streets, desperately trying to find clues of his whereabouts. A howling wind blew passed and a flyer coincidently flew towards the blonde's foot. Naruto grabbed the paper and read.

"Doomsday in Karakura town." Naruto raised a questioning brow. "Karakura town? What kind of place is that?"

Crunching the flyer, Naruto threw it and continued travelling aimlessly for a sign of life.

Before the blonde captain officially declared his defeat, he noticed several suppressed reiatsu hidden behind a fallen building. When Naruto was about to yell for an audience, three unknown entities blitzed into existence and their swords were placed on his throat abruptly.

"Found you, monster!" A redhead shinigami roared. "It's time to end this!"

"Your day as a filthy emperor is over, scum!" A short female shinigami, with raven hair and a distinctive piece of lock lying idly on the middle of her face, spat.

"It's time to end this entire nightmare." A shinigami with orange hair styled in a similar spiky fashion as Naruto scowled.

Naruto lifted his hand in a surrender gesture. "Dude! I have to break it to you guys but, I don't know what are you guys are saying. Hell, I don't even know how I ended up here. Who are you and what the fuck is with this city."

The shinigami wielding a Zanpakuto shaped similarly to an oversized cleaver growled. "Don't mess with us, Uzumaki Naruto! We're sick with your lies and deception! We will end this once and for all. This apocalypse will end with your death!"

The only female in the group voiced her opinion aloud. "Prepare to die!"

"Whoa! Bitches got issues! Seriously, if I'm whatever emperor you're saying and the one who caused this mess, shouldn't I be killing you already?"

The redhead retorted. "You're just messing with us with your mind games. Just like how you mess with everybody!"

Naruto's eyes twitched vigorously and instantly dissolved into a violent torrent of wind, appearing behind the group.

"Calm down! I'm afraid to tell you but I have no idea what the fuck is going on. Oh, just so you know, I don't give a flying crap about beating the three of you. Now, can we settle down in peace and talk this straight in the peaceful way?"

The three rogue shinigami aimed their sword at the blonde captain.

Naruto sighed. "Guess we have to do this the hard way."

In a flash, the blonde pointed a finger at the group and casted a spell. A binding ray of light suddenly shot out from Naruto's finger and six planes of restriction energy slammed into the waist of the three shinigamis.

They groaned and grunted in unison, struggling for mobility in no avail.

"Kill us! We have nothing left for this world!" The female shinigami broke down in tears.

"Do it!"

"What are you waiting for!?"

"Shut up!" Naruto's authoritative command silenced the group. "I'm not going to kill you. Relax for Kami's sake. I think I came from another dimension by some reason I don't know myself. Now I get your attentions, tell me what is going on here."

The redhead shinigami screamed. "What is going on here? This world is destroyed because of you!"

Naruto's eyes widened. "W-What? Me? I destroy this world? What bullshit is this?"

The orange haired shinigami growled. "Humanity is wiped off, because of you! You caused all of this!"

Naruto was seriously perplexed, dazed in a stupor. As far as he was concerned, he held the incapacity to create a catastrophe in such a wide scale. Soul Society would stop him before he could even annihilate less than half of all living beings, lest destroyed the whole world. The blonde captain could recall Fujin Hyogatsu stating an unforeseen future the dragon saw from Kyubi that horrified both the demon and the Zanpakuto. A Zanpakuto feared one's owner was considered a remarkable feat, a demonic beast of hell sealed within a soul which feared his host was an unbelievable fact.

Naruto broke from his jumbled thoughts and focused on the group. "I don't understand all these. I don't have the power to create all this. Are you guys on drugs or am I dreaming? Cause this sick joke is so not funny."

Before the blonde could receive any answer, a sickening spiritual pressure increased dramatically and poured onto the four shinigami. Naruto's eyes widened in fear; he recognised the spiritual pressure. The spiritual pressure was coated with malice and an overwhelming sense of evil that filled the reiatsu with tremendous power. What puzzled Naruto was the fact that the nefarious reiatsu belonged to him, only amplified into a terrifying degree.

An entity dressed in an elegant white tuxedo descended gracefully onto the ground in front of them along with a diabolical aura.

"I-Impossible" Naruto staggered in trepidation. "But how…there's no way…"

"Oh, hello." The intruder spoke with an echo that traced along with his every word. "I never thought I will see myself wearing that robe again, Naruto. Or should I address you as, me?"

Naruto eyed the entity before him. _"What the hell is going on here?"_

"I could ask you the same question, me. What are you doing here?"

"Y-You read my mind?"

The entity who possessed the perfect features of Naruto except a pair of crimson eyes chuckled darkly. "Well of course I can. A technique I developed myself to predict enemies' movement in the most precise ways you could ever imagine."

Naruto shook his head, trying to calm himself with the complicated situation at hand until the spiritual pressure emitted from the intruder intensified into an ungodly degree that brought Naruto to his own knees while the remaining three shinigamis fainted. When the three shinigamis fell unconscious completely, the pressure was diminished and Naruto regained his composure, managing to breathe properly.

"I'm sorry with my sudden intrusion but I can assure you that I mean you no harm. Besides, you're me."

Naruto panted and raised himself to a standing posture, staring at the doppelganger. "So you're telling me that you're my clone."

The entity chuckled sinisterly. "No. No, Naruto. It's you. You're my clone. You're in my world"

"I don't understand this at all."

"You don't need to. You have arrived to witness this artistic work that we have created."

"W-We?"

"You still don't get it, do you? I'm you! I'm what you're going to become in the coming future of your years."

"A monster?"

The entity chuckled, the after effect of his voice echo spread across the isolated city. "No, Naruto. You will transform into a being that will surpass all odds. A being that will gain the power that nobody has. A power that only those pathetic creatures would pray to have, grovelling in the dirt, begging for it."

Naruto raised a brow. "What would that be?"

The entity in a white suit grinned malevolently. "The power of a… god."

"Where is Soul Society."

"Gone."

"Gone?" Naruto repeated. "What do you mean 'gone'?"

"Exactly what I mean. I wiped out Soul Society single-handedly." The entity frown and a sadistic grin soon replaced his previous expression. "I'm sorry; maybe I should rephrase it clearer. We wiped out Soul Society single-handedly."

"No!"

"Yes." The stoic demeanour the entity spoke about the annihilation of Soul Society was truly terrifying to Naruto himself.

"What about Jiji!? What about our friends? What about…Yo-chan!?"

The entity chuckled. "Jiji… died in my hands."

"You bastard!" Naruto sped towards his doppelganger, only to be halted in his tracks by six planes of energy binding him in his actions. "Shit! Damn it! He didn't even do any hand gesture and he could perform such strong Bakudo spells?"

"Rikujokoro. Our favourite spell isn't it. Don't resist, my power shadow you more than you think."

"Y-You didn't answer my questions!"

"Oh, sorry. I apologise for my rudeness." The entity smirked sadistically and walked towards Naruto in a casual, rather calm manner. "I told you, didn't I? I killed them all. Shinji, Kisuke, Kensei, Ero-ji-san, Ukitake-sensei, Baa-chan and every single one of them who choose to defy me. They worship and preach the wrong justice, Naruto. As the very source of justice, I have to enforce law upon them. But they just couldn't see what's right and what's wrong, even after they died."

"And what's right?" Naruto questioned with foul acids poured upon his words.

"My words are law. And as law, my words are right."

Naruto scoffed. "From what I see, you're just an egotistic piece of shit!"

"Really? I'm you, remember? We're the same, we think the same, we act-"

"Bullshit! I'm not you!"

"Stop denying your fate, Naruto. You're me. You will walk the same path as I am!"

"What did you do to Yo-chan!"

A sad smile crept up at the entity's lips. "I killed her."

Naruto's eyes widened in a mixed of anger and grief. "Why did you do that?! "

The sad smile was soon replaced with an atrocious grin hinted with a slight despair. "Because I loved her, more than anything in this world."

"To hell with you!"

The entity ignored the insult and continued. "I asked her to join me, Naruto. I really did. When I strike Soul Society, accordingly to plan, she stops me. She persuades me to stop my dream and screams her love for me for perhaps, a hundred times. I ask her to join me, and together, we will become god and rule over this world. I told her all about my plans, about how I will build a paradise where human will cease to exist, about my army in Hueco Mundo. I even offer her to be my queen and watch over the world for me. Change the world like how we want it to be."

Tears burst from Naruto's eyes; he didn't want to hear the story anymore. "But she told me she can't. That she will protect the human race. I told her that the human beings are flawed, murderous! They fear what they held no knowledge whatsoever and push unreasonable blames on those weaker than them! For that, she summoned Soul Society's warriors to kill me. She betrayed me, Naruto. She betrayed us."

Naruto's hardened glaze soaked with tears directed at the entity. "She will never betray me!"

"Well, she did, Naruto. I was devastated. I really tried to stop her but she just kept coming. I couldn't let her interfere with my plans, Naruto. I can't."

The entity smirked. "I killed her. I plunge my fist into her stomach, right through her spine and crushed it. I'm sorry; allow me to rephrase it once more. We kill-"

"Fuck you!"

The entity's smirk broadened. "Until today, I still remember her weeping form, lying in my hands, begging me to stop my killing spree."

"You're not me…" Naruto muttered under his breathe. The tears he shed were still flowing uncontrollably. "But I know what you are."

The entity in white tuxedo raised an eyebrow in mock curiosity. "Oh? What am I?"

"You're the same thing that I hated the most. The same brand of rotten scum that I killed for my entire life. An ugly, evil, salvage piece of crap! The only differences between you and those scums, is the size of your ego."

The entity clapped and laughed a hollow chortle. "Well said, Naruto. Irony, isn't it? Cursing your very ownself. Naruto, it's time you embrace the very fact that you are just like me. After all, we're the same."

"You better kill me now."

The entity raised a brow. "Pardon?"

"You better kill me now, or I swear I will find any ways to kill you. And I won't stop; you should know that if you're me. I will not let myself to kill Yo-chan."

A perplexed feature adorned on the entity's face. "What are you talking about, Naruto? You should know better than I do. We are warriors. We fight to survive and we fight for nothing but power. We will not let anybody stand in our way. Isn't that the price we pay to gain absolute power? To gain the power of a god? A power that dictates every single living creature in this planet with sovereignty and governed a plane of paradise where sinners don't exist?"

"You're wrong!"

"I'm correct!" The entity in an exquisite white suit narrowed his eyes to slits. "Stop lying to yourself, Naruto. Deep down inside you, you desire power!"

"I do, I do desire power…"

"That's right."

"But I will not attain whatever god's power if I have to kill Yo-chan."

"Keep telling yourself that, Naruto. When the power comes before you, trust me, you will choose power over Yo-chan. Power is everything. Love comes second. That's why I'm standing here. You're witnessing what will become of you. A god!"

"Then I will change that." Naruto whispered, his words drowned in sorrow and confusion.

"Oh no. You will not change that. You will join Aizen sooner or later. You will gain power with him and you will kill him. Just like what I did."

Naruto wept; his mind in utter turmoil. "You're…wrong…"

"Whatever you do, you will always end up here." The entity chuckled. "Whatever choices you make, whatever details you alter, and whatever justice you create, whatever path you follow…we will always end up… here. In the end, everything will be the same. We become god, we gain the power we require and we rule over the realms of life. We are destined to win."

"You-re…wrong…"

"Goodbye, Naruto. We will meet again. In a couple of centuries later, perhaps, you will be standing in my shoes, conveying to your own past and telling him the cold reality of truth. Don't get me wrong, Naruto. I love Yo-chan. I love her too much that I couldn't spare others to kill her. When the time comes, you will come to the same conclusion like I did, that the Yo-chan we loved so much betrayed us, after all the things I did for her. She will choose Soul Society over me, over us…" A sorrowful smile adorned the entity's lips.

Until then…" The entity in a white suit raised a hand and the three fallen shinigami were thrown to a portal. "Say hi to Yo-chan for me."

The entity vanished into a gentle breeze and the binding spell that chained Naruto faded, leaving the blonde to collapse into his knees, sobbing in horror and despair.

"Wrong…"  
_  
_XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

"YO-CHAN!" Naruto screamed from the top of his lungs and started panting tediously. Scanning around the room, the blonde captain sighed in relief. He was having a nightmare from his sleep. A very realistic, ideological nightmare that sent shivers up Naruto's spine. The solace that he sought in the conclusion of the tormenting vision felt genuine.

"That is one scary dream I ever had in my life." Naruto wiped the beads of sweats on his forehead and sighed. "Will I…"

The blonde stared at his sweaty palms. "Will I turn into a monster like that of my dream? A fool chasing an unrealistic dream and actually …succeeded?

Naruto dropped his head onto the pillow and groaned. "Power…"

As that word was spoken, Naruto drifted off to a deep slumber.

Oblivion to the blonde, a presence had left Naruto's barracks with a grin.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

Naruto sat on the swing, neglecting the petals of a cherry blossom on his head and pondered over the dream he had last night. It was describable as realistic yet immoral to the blonde. Would he accepts Aizen's offer and formed an alliance, aiding him in his hideous scheme or conquest of plotting something disastrous to the world and disposed of him afterwards? Could he stormed Soul Society and slaughter countless of souls with no remorse? Might he be able to take his Zanpakuto and took his lover's life?

"It's just a dream… I'm not going to stand with Aizen and turn my backs against my friends." Naruto sighed. He was searching for the letter he received last night, only to find a scrap of dust lying on his table. "Aizen is smart to dispose off the evidence before I could report it."

_"Naruto…"_

"Fujin Hyogatsu?"

_"That's right. The mental link connection succeeded."_

"Mental link connection?"

_"Only those who trust their Zanpakuto completely and attained Bankai with a considerable amount of knowledge in applying the full force of their Zanpakuto can form a pact of connection with their Zanpakuto."_

"Alright, what's going on with the dream last night."

_"It's not a dream, Naruto. It's pretty much real, the vision that is. Kyubi and me possess enough power to send you into the futuristic dimension and meet with the future self of you."_

"May I ask why?" Naruto raised a brow. "Cause it isn't funny… meeting my future…self."

_"Trust me, Naruto. It isn't funny to us as well. This prediction will come true, judging by the current fate that follows you. You will attain the power that defies even the very law of nature. You will control existence and even wielding the power of creation, but in a terrible price that is your sanity."_

"What is that suppose to mean? How will I even get this power."

_"Didn't your future self told you? You joined Aizen in order to accomplish whatever goal he's plotting. The only mystery that awaits us is…what's the reason."_

"I will not join him, Fujin Hyogatsu. Never!"

_"Perhaps so. Perhaps that was what your future self told my future self."_

Naruto surveyed his surrounding, ensuring nobody could possibly eavesdrop their conversation. "So why did Kyubi get so frighten off? Having a god as a tenant was supposed to be exciting, isn't it?"

_"Clueless aren't you? We have figured that in a few centuries time, the future you will find a remedy."_

"Remedy?"

_"A cure to your tenant's problem. You will merge yourself with the Kyubi, suck all of the fox's demonic power and further increase the depth of your power by folds. We're saying thousands of folds. If what your future self words are plausible, then those powers will be used for unleashing Armageddon to the world. Billions of casualties will arise, both Soul Society and the world of the living. When that day comes, even the Zanpakuto world will be destroyed since there is no longer any shinigami left to execute our powers."_

"So what now?"

_"Nothing. Only times will tell. I will take my leave. See you soon, Naruto."_

The blonde shut his eyes and ended the link.

"Life just gets more troublesome than ever."

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

Naruto ambled through the hallway of the medical division, yet his mind was still speculating the event yesterday. The blonde reached his destination and opened the door, only to see the Shihouin princess, snuggling the fox plush toy in her sleep.

"She looks cute that way." Naruto sat beside Yoruichi's bed and caressed her cheeks affectionately. Upon the blonde's warmth touch, the princess stirred slightly in her sleeps before opening a sleepy eye, while rubbing the other and purred in contentment. "Having a good dream, aren't you?"

The princess smiled. "How do you know?"

"I'm a genius. It can't be help."

"You're pretty shameless, you know that?"

"That's what everybody says." Yoruichi giggled.

"So, have you met your squad members?" The princess queried in curiosity.

"Not yet. Figure I should come and have a check on you before I go."

Studying the blonde's new attire which basically consisted of a white long-sleeves haori and the traditional black shinigami outfit wore underneath the coat, Yoruichi sighed. "Nice uniform."

"You'll get yours some day." Naruto grinned. "Now, just rest and recover. I'll be back at around… evening or tomorrow, depending on work."

"Don't overwork yourself, Naruto-kun." Yoruichi reached for the blonde's hand. "It hurts me to see you exhausting yourself like that."

"And it hurts for me to see you getting hurt like that." The blonde situated a comforting hand above the princess'.

"Alright, alright, get to work. You don't want to get a bad impression from your colleagues, do you? Get going, drama-king! Shoo!"

Naruto clutched his chest in mock sadness. "You hurt me, Yo-chan. I came to visit you and that's the thanks I get."

Realising the fact that she cannot defeat the blonde in terms of words, Yoruichi used her formidable weapon; she made an angry pout. The blonde, though initially resisted temptation, eventually gave in. "Fine. I'll go, meanie!"

In an instant, Naruto dissipated into a gust of gentle breeze.

The princess couldn't help but giggled. "That's one thing he'll never change."

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

Naruto, with his captain robe readied, stormed into his new division chamber with the epitome of pride and calm. His stoic demeanour gave the entire squad members somewhat an eerie chill that crawled up their spines. They heard the rumours that their new leader was the legendary prodigy that descended upon Soul Society once in every millennium. Not to mention, he was trained under the Captain Commander and other senior captains' tutelage; his strength was unimaginable.

The soldiers stood in parallel, forming a passage for their captain to walk. Strolling casually towards the chair at the end of the chamber, the blonde shinigami flipped his haori backwards and sat on the antiquated throne and eyed the rows of soldiers analytically. "I'm Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you."

"It is an honour to meet you, sir!" The squad members yelled in unison.

Naruto arched a brow. "What's with the tension?"

Several soldiers gulped.

The blonde sighed. "Look guys. I'm not your typical strict rules enforcer. I just hope that from now on, we're family. I'll do my best to cover your backs and protect you."

"Sir!" A female shinigami saluted. "It is our duty to protect you."

A smirk tugged at the blonde's lips, which caused the female soldier to blush. "If I needed your protection, I won't be wearing this coat."

"B-But sir..."

"Regardless, I will be your brother, your friend, your leader, but I'm not your dictator. If you need help in your training, feel free to ask me. If you want to be stronger, approach me. But, there are still rules in this squad."

"R-Rules?" A random squad member inquired.

"That's right. I only ask for you to respect the person standing next to you. Respect your fellow brothers and sisters. As long as you're under this roof, all of us are family. I hold no patience for traitors, backstabbers and hypocrites. If you desire power, then come to me, but don't hurt others for it. We're sentient beings, capable of understanding what's black and what's white. If you're not satisfied with me, then come to me and I'll transfer you to other squads. If you want to talk about something, anything, I'm all ears." Naruto scanned every individual in the room.

"Do any of you have any comments to make?" The blonde placed his elbow on the cushion armrest, the surface of his fist situated on his cheek and his leg crossed.

"No, Sir!"

"Very well. From now on, I will lead all of us to glory. Our squad might be a rookie squad in the eyes of others, but I'm going to change that. We are no cowards who turn our backs in the face of danger. No, we fight to the death, for freedom and for justice. We fight for the one standing beside us, and we fight for the sake of others, not ourselves!"

The crowds roared in excitement, until a solider took a step forward. "Y-Yamamoto-taichou-"

"It's Uzumaki taichou. If you refer to me as Yamamoto taichou, it will cause confusion. After all, my grandfather is still the sotaichou, isn't he?"

"I apologize for intruding your speech, Uzumaki taichou, but, our squad is relatively new. Hence, our soldiers are at most at the level of a fifth-seat warrior."

"I will sort that out." Naruto assured. "For now, let's celebrate the creation of this division! The tenth division!"

The entire squad cheered.

It was official; Naruto had became the first captain of the tenth division.

Kuchiki Byakuya stood among the crowds, sweating nervously. An avalanche of questions shot through the Kuchiki heir's mind. _"What if he found out that I'm his lover's groom during the wedding? Did he see me during the chaotic situation that day? Will he tries to kill me? It's not like I wanted to marry that Shihouin princess... but I must admit, she's very beautiful. Well, she's not my cup of tea anyway. I just hope he doesn't hate me for the clan's arrangements."  
_

"Hey, you, kid! You, over there."

Byakuya broke out from his thoughts and saw his captain strolling towards him. Trembling in trepidation, the Kuchiki heir waited for Naruto's upcoming imminent conversation. _"Ah, blasphemy!"_

"Kuchiki Byakuya, right?" Naruto eyed the unseated officer.

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"Can I speak with you outside, personally?" The blonde captain smirked.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

"So, how are you?" Naruto cheered.

"I know you're not asking me out to have a little chit-chat, sir." Byakuya deadpanned.

"Alright. I'm giving you full permission to remove your formality with me. I want you to speak with me... like a friend."

The Kuchiki heir widened his eyes. "Disrespect is out of tradition. I believe-"

"Do what I said or I'll beat the puberty out of you!" The blonde captain commanded.

Saluted in sheer fear, Byakuya gulped. "Y-Yes sir."

"I know everything." Naruto placed his hands on his waist. "You are Yo-chan's soon-to-be-husband in the chapel yesterday, right?"

"Y-Yes. But, under clan's obligation, I have no right to refuse." The Kuchiki heir reasoned, hoping the blonde to comprehend his situation as well. "You're a noble as well. Y-You should know about the law and regulation in clan's affair."

The atmosphere emanated a horrifying bloodlust. Byakuya swore he saw the mirage of a demon replacing the very entity of his captain. Naruto's sapphire eyes emitted a vibrant indigo, his canine fangs sharpened and visible, as if a monstrosity beast was gradually taking over the blonde's soul. The Kuchiki heir had never feared in such degree in his life. _"Is he going to kill me? Is he going to kill me? I'm going to be slaughtered, right? Kami, sav-"_

"Okay!" Naruto beamed, the ambience twisted into an awkward serenity.

Byakuya exhaled a sigh of relief and wiped the sweats on his forehead. _"He sure has a strange mood swing."_

"Say, how do you find Yo-chan?" The question blurted out from Naruto's mouth, startling the blushing Kuchiki heir.

"She's beautiful." Byakuya answered, almost dreamily but after catching a glimpse of his captain's eyes, he raised his hands dismissively. "B-But, I don't mean t-that way... You know, that... way. I mean, seriously, she is probably older than me by folds! S-So... I am definitely not implying in any romantic way, I mean, seriously, romance with her? T-That's impossible!"

Naruto guffawed aloud and patted the Kuchiki heir's shoulder. "Calm down, I trust you. If you find her attractive, then just say it out. She _IS _very attractive, isn't she?"

Chuckling lightly, Byakuya immediately shifted the mood. "I heard about it. You sentenced Shihouin-sama to death, didn't you?"

Naruto sighed but nodded solemnly. "He is too dangerous to be allowed to live. The decision is supported by most of the clans' head. The only person who doesn't know the truth is Yo-chan, therefore, anybody who discloses this confidential matter, especially to her, will be sentenced to death as well, regardless their rank, status or nobility. Yo-chan will be the next official Shihouin leader after her recuperation. Do I make myself clear, Byakuya?"

Byakuya stared sceptically at his captain. "What if, by any chance, Yoruichi-sama found out-"

"She won't. All records, evidence, trials, links and any other possible factors related to old man Shihouin's execution are burnt, disposed or removed from this world. Even if she doubts me, there are no evidences to support her claims. It is for the best for Yo-chan. Her father is but a painful memory for her, I won't let her get hurt, physically or mentally, by him any longer."

The Kuchiki heir could only nod dumbly.

* * *

University is just a huge impact to me. I am stressed like a bee trying to escape winter in the brink of death!

By the way, I'm just a huge fan of Supernatural. I mean, it has a great plotline, great character development, and many awesome scenes. But well, the future Naruto is what the current Naruto will become if he follows the path he is walking currently. He will be infused with much more hatred, anger, malice until it all twisted him into a being of mass destruction. It's a warning.

Right now, there are only 2 possible paths for Naruto.

. Righteous  
. Evil (Let's call it, indifference.)

Well then, that's all.

Peace out.


	10. Dimension Transporter

--------------------------  
**~ Dimension Transporters ~ **

Twenty years had drifted away like it was yesterday. It was sensationally pleasant for Naruto. Yoruichi was promoted and took her father's mantle two years after her discharged from the hospital after th_at _fateful event; she was the divine testimony of the terminology, workaholic. Not to mention, she was announced as the 22th clan leader of the Shihouin clan as she claimed her deceased father's crown, becoming the sole monarch in her reign. Kensei and Shinji were promoted a year later and governed the ninth division and the fifth division respectively.

Today was a holiday, not a general public holiday, but Naruto and Yoruichi's personal holiday. They were married recently after the blonde confessed his love, took him a while to stop his staggering though. With their marriage, the Yamamoto and the Shihouin clan agreed to form an alliance and decided to start their relationship anew. Genryusai couldn't even express his overwhelming pride for his surrogate grandson.

The newly wedded couple decided to build their new sanctuary in between the prestigious Yamamoto compound and the luxurious Shihouin complex. It wasn't as big and spacious as their family's palace, but they were satisfied.

Of course, the Shihouin queen had to oversee their house's structures, concepts, designs and decorations personally.

Yoruichi was excited as she dragged her husband around their exquisite bungalow. It was a two storey house with a kitchen, four bedrooms, a theatre room, a living room, a dining hallway and the remaining necessities to call a house. Bringing Naruto to their master bedroom, Yoruichi chirped. "So, what do you think? I customized the windows to be constructed over there so the sunrays won't shine on us in the morning. And... oh..."

The Shihouin queen tilted her head and scrutinised the mirror attached on the ceiling. "Uh-uh, this is coming down."

Naruto snaked his hands around his wife and arched a questioning eyebrow. "Why? Don't you find it unique?"

"I love the idea of a mirror on the ceiling but this is ugly. I didn't know who put it there though."

The blonde sighed. "But the thing is, you look gorgeous in it, honey. That's all it matters."

"Aww..." Yoruichi kissed her husband lovingly. "Sweet tongue you have there, baby."

"Well, if you wish to take it down, then we must at least Christen our house first." Naruto smirked.

"And what do you suggest we use for a bed?"

The blonde grinned before lying on the floor. "We can always use this comfy carpet as replacement."

Straddling her husband's hip, Yoruichi leaned forward and captured Naruto's moist lips before recalling her husband's schedule. "Baby, aren't you going to report for work? I don't want no 3 minutes nookie."

The blonde caressed his wife's cheeks and smiled. "I told them I'm gonna be late."

"How about the movers?"

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "They're arriving about an hour along with our furniture. We got plenty of time to accommodate ourselves, honey."

"Umm... how about our neighbours? Our relatives are just a few blocks away, baby."

Flipping his wife onto the ground gently, Naruto moved on atop of Yoruichi and kissed his wife tenderly. "They can listen if they want."

"Oh, Naruto-kun, you're so bad." The Shihouin queen smirked devilish with a hint of lust and undeniable love.

"Like isn't that why you marry me?" Yoruichi giggled as her husband planted kisses on her neck and slowly undressed her.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

As anticipated, a few men arrived an hour later and stated their services in transporting their furniture. Naruto left his new house and went to work subsequently, pleased to know that the movers were strictly responsible and professional. Strolling casually towards his division, the blonde took in cognition of his surrounding and simply appreciated the serenity of the pathway. Naruto did have a bad habit; he didn't like wearing his haori that symbolised his status unless he's in work.

At that moment, a woman with strawberry blonde hair and a voluptuous figure walking aligned with the blonde. "Squad 10?"

Naruto raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

"I couldn't help but notice the path we're walking only leads to the 10th division."

The blonde smiled. "Squad 10, yeah, I work there. Are you a messenger from the other squads?"

The woman shook her head. "Why? Do I look like a messenger to you?"

Naruto simply chuckled. "As a matter of fact, yes you do. Like the messenger from the big guns upstairs, get my drift?"

The woman guffawed. "Well, I hate to shatter the illusion but I'm the new recruit."

Orchestrating a phony flinch, Naruto queried. "You're the new recruit?"

"What? Girls are strong as well, just like Shihouin taichou and Unohana taichou."

They both laughed in merriment.

"I would never guess a new recruit. I thought you're the new lieutenant." Naruto beamed, earning a tint of pink displaying on the woman's cheeks.

Upon reaching the entrance of the division, Naruto bided a farewell wave. "We're here, I'll see you around."

"Yep." The woman nodded.

The blonde ambled into his squadron, greeting his men a benevolent 'good morning'. Naruto was aware of the fact that the woman was tailing him. Curious, the blonde swirled around. "Are you following me?"

The new recruit was perplexed. "No, I'm just taking my recruit documents to Uzumaki taichou's office. I heard that it's the policy of this division that all new recruits must have a little chit-chat with the captain and allow the captain to understand the recruits better in order to create a bond between the superior and his subordinate. I believe that it is an excellent way of communication and forming trustworthy bonds."

Naruto chortled before resuming a stoic demeanour while scanning his vicinity and whispered conspiratorially to the woman. "I like your speech. You're looking for the captain, Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto, right?"

The woman nodded. "I guess you probably know him."

"Yeah, I know who he is and he's an asshole." The new recruit was taken aback by the bold statement. "He takes himself way too seriously. And don't tell him I said that."

The woman grinned. "Will I get you in trouble?"

"Oh yeah, big trouble."

"Then my lips are sealed."

"Thanks." Naruto winked before dissipating into a stream of air blast, startling the new recruit momentarily. _"Ah, messing with people's mind, great way to start off the day."_

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

Manifesting his frame outside his office, Naruto grabbed the coffee located on the counter prepared for him personally while he greeted his lieutenant. "Hey, morning kid."

"Morning, taichou." Byakuya's focus remained fixated on his paperwork. "How's the new house?"

"Chaos, man, chaos. I got out just as the movers show up. Yo-chan is staying home all day since she couldn't trust others manhandling our new home." The blonde inhaled the aroma of his beverage and took a cautious sip before seizing his captain haori hanging idly on the coat hanger.

"Shihouin taichou must've loved that." The Kuchiki heir replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, if she calls and sounds mad, tell her I'm in a meeting." Without a second thought, Naruto slid the door open and ambled into his office.

Byakuya sighed. "She'll know I'm lying. Taichou! Ah, blasphemy!"

The new recruit managed to find the captain and the vice-captain's offices soon afterwards while panting anxiously. Eyeing the stranger with a rather exotic figure, the Kuchiki heir questioned. "Can I help you?"

"Are you Kuchiki fuku-taichou?"

"Yeah? You're...?"

"Matsumoto Rangiku. I'm the new recruit! I'm reporting to duty!" Rangiku cheered and peeked into the captain's office, her mental bearing tumbled as she saw the mysterious man he had a conversation with previously was wearing the captain's haori and attending to a mountain load of paperwork. "T-That's Uzumaki taichou? I... didn't know."

"Yeah. He's married though."

"Aww... the good ones are always taken."

_"Girls..." _Byakuya rolled his eyes. "Taichou is free of appointments. You can enter his chamber if you wish."

"Okay. Thanks." Rangiku took a few nervous steps forward and knocked on the door. "May I come in, sir?"

"Yeah." Naruto agreed while his attentive gazes were on the reports scattered randomly on his desk before shifting sights to the woman. "How may I help you, new recruit?"

"You punk'd me, taichou." Rangiku pouted.

Shrugging laxly, the blonde slumped into his chair. "Yeah, life needs entertainment here and there sometimes."

"Don't worry, I'll get my revenge. By the way, everybody here disagrees with you."

Naruto cocked a brow. "About what?"

"About you being an asshole." Rangiku giggled. "They say you're the nicest person, brother, family and captain in the division. I think I'm lucky to be at your service, sir."

"Well, I got them fool." Chuckling lightly, the blonde captain sighed and skimmed through the documents thoroughly. "Matsumoto Rangiku? Now that I think about it, do I know you somewhere? You look awfully familiar, yet I couldn't place my thought correctly."

"Yep! I 'm the girl you saved thirteen years ago."

Reminisce of the past, Naruto's grimace was evident.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
(Flash back - approximately 9 years ago)

Byakuya detested the idea of travelling to Rukongai constantly. The place was the epitomes of poverty and despair but Naruto insisted, referring their unpleasant trip as training. The blonde captain would force Byakuya to carry his supplies while Naruto led the route, either mountain climbing or visiting the civilians residing in the region they were travelling. Sometimes, Naruto would even halt their trip just to supply a little laborious aid for shopkeepers; the enigmatic blonde truly sparked the Kuchiki heir's wonderment of how someone at the Yamamoto heir's calibre would volunteer willingly to provide help.

He wasn't formal and strict, but laidback, carefree and optimistic, yet at the same time, carried an undeniable aura of conceded strength and supreme prowess. One thing was certain; the blonde was loved by the people living in Rukongai. Unlike the arrogant soul reapers who flaunt their skills and vainglory achievements constantly after merely graduating from the academy or completing a mission, Naruto took his time to understand and appreciate lives around him.

Their destination was located underneath a mountain, where Naruto would order the Kuchiki heir to climb the mountains and bring back as many prescribed herbs as fast as possible; failure wasn't an option. If failure was met, punishment was severe. Thrice a week, Naruto would demand Byakuya to follow him for a training trip; it really became a routine for the Kuchiki heir.

Today was no different, just another casual, rather uninteresting day. Well, that's what Byakuya thought.

Naruto hummed a happy tune as he strolled along side with the Kuchiki heir who was carrying an enormous bag on his back. Suddenly, the blonde paused, startling Byakuya. "What's wrong, taichou?"

"There's an injured boy over there, let's go." The blonde captain vanished in a trail of dust, Byakuya followed suit.

Reaching their target, Naruto caught the boy's impending fall and whispered. "Boy, hang on. What happen? Who did this to you?"

The boy with silver hair groaned in achingly. "...S-Save... Ran-c-chan... p-please..."

The blonde shook the boy slightly. "Hey, don't sleep. Wake up. I don't know who this Ran-chan is. Stay awake and tell me what's wrong."

"D-District... 70... t-the rebels... capture... h-her." The boy coughed painfully before continuing with a weak voice. "T-They... might... r-rape her... please... save Ran-chan... she... s-she..."

The boy drifted to the realm of unconsciousness, much to Naruto's dismay. "Well, that's quite a lot of clues. Byakuya, drop the bag and carry this boy. We must hurry."

Muttering several incoherent statements under his breath, Byakuya did what he was told and hoisted the boy over his back. Within split seconds, the three dissipated into jet of air streams, charging towards their designated destination. Due to years of experience in mapping the entire Rukongai's district routes, Byakuya, with utmost confidence, was able to seek short-cuts to get where he needed to go.

District 70, famed for its cruel slavery, discrimination and chauvinism, was a restricted zone for any civilians or soul reapers to enter. But, desperate situations at hand, Naruto could care less for rules and regulations. Much to the blonde's disdain, the rumours were brutally accurate. Upon arriving, Byakuya widened his eyes in disgust, angered at the palpable corruptions in the streets.

"T-This place... what a poorly organized culture. No, this blasphemy is... madness!" The Kuchiki heir yelled, alarming several passerbies.

A few drunks step forward, unaware of Naruto's trembling hand; it wasn't fear that caused him to agitate to such extent, it was mere rage. "You two look unfamiliar around here, what are ya'? Bunch of shinigami wannabes?!"

The drunks laughed, their breath smelled of stench. "If you're looking for brothels, they're everywhere fuckers! If you want some reality escaping, those drug stalls can supply ya good crates! This is a land of paradise! No one stopping ya'! Get going!"

Naruto nodded and gestured Byakuya to follow, who complied reluctantly. Throughout the walk, the Kuchiki heir took in cognizant of his captain's attentiveness of their surrounding and the blonde's stoic demeanour was simply foreign to him. It was as if a diabolical aura emanated from the silent blonde; the fact that an ominous shadow hid Naruto's pair of cerulean eyes was perturbing the Kuchiki heir.

The prostitutes that were inviting them were swiftly rejected by the blonde captain; Byakuya could see the obvious unwillingness reflected in the women's eyes.

Instantly, several thugs, with various weapons armed, attempted to assault them. Unfazed by the assailants' futile actions, Naruto thrust a hand forward before an effulgent of crimson ray shimmered in the blonde's palm and a gigantic ball fused with intensified heat soared towards the assaulters, burning them to death. The witnesses in the crowd were stunned beyond cognition. "Foolish. Byakuya, find the girl. You have approximately 15 minutes before I deep-fry this place."

Without allowing a slight hint of delay, the Kuchiki heir disappeared in a sonic blur.

Naruto grinned sinisterly as more thugs gathered around him. "Let's play."

~~~~(A few minutes later)~~~~

"Are you..." Byakuya, with the boy on his back, eyed the girl warily.

"Gin! Why is he with you?" After cutting the ropes that were binding the girl, she rushed to the unconscious boy. "What happen?!"

"He told us to help him find you."

"Us?"

"I'm Squad ten's third seat, Kuchiki Byakuya. My captain is here, you're practically safe."

The girl widened his eyes. "Shinigami? I...I-'m Matsumoto Rangiku. This is Ichimaru Gin. We're... t-thieves..."

Byakuya nodded. "Very well, come with me. Taichou will like to meet you-"

An abrupt explosion startled them. Byakuya dashed to the streets and was stupefied by the scenario before him. Blood painted the streets and walls, corpses scattered around the unforgiving soil and recognisable, but nefarious spirit energy lingered in the atmosphere, sending chills crawling up Byakuya's spine; it was as if a massacre was performed, and the culprit could only be his captain. "N-No way..."

"Byakuya." The dispassionate, yet familiar voice caused Byakuya to twirl around and faced his superior. "Get me more sinners... I must kill them..."

The Kuchiki heir was frightened, terrified of the man before him that he called captain. Naruto's eyes were an eerily vibrant red, the whisker scars on his cheeks darkened and his canine fangs were visible. "B-But sir-"

"ARE YOU DISOBEYING ORDERS!?"

"...No sir..."

"Then get going. Bring the boy and the girl away. They will only be a burden."

Hesitation due to disinclination, Byakuya complied eventually but before his departure, he caught a glimpse of Naruto's eyes; those pair of unfamiliar crimson eyes revealed a glint of demonic aura. Unable to comprehend and handle the situation appropriately, Byakuya brought Gin and Rangiku to a safe location before rushing back to Soul Society. If there was one person who can stop his captain's sudden bloodlust, it could only be his beloved fiancée.

Shihouin Yoruichi.

An annoying woman to the Kuchiki heir.

But, options were limited. Removing the sense of doubt in his heart, Byakuya's blood stream was stimulated to the maximum abundance reserve of adrenaline pumped into his veins as he used all of his strength to dash towards Soul Society.

~~~~(15 minutes later)~~~~

"WHAT!? MY NARUTO-KUN GOES BONKERS IN RUKONGAI!? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN!? ANSWER ME, LITTLE BYAKUYA, OR I'LL CUT YOUR BALLS OFF AND SHOVE IT INTO YOUR MOUTH!" Yoruich's scream was so potently loud, the entire division could hear her, literally.

Byakuya gulped nervously. "Well... we rescue a kid who ask us to rescue another kid and we went there and rescued the kid but when I rescued the kid who we're asked to rescue, Uzumaki-taichou's eyes turn red! I don't know what truly happens but his anger is obvious. He asks me to help him find sinners for him to kill! The taichou I know will never request such preposterous things! He is merely asking me to help him massacre the entire populous residing in that... godforsaken place!"

"Where is my fiancé?" Yoruichi's emotionless visage was indirectly warning the Kuchiki heir to choose his words wisely.

"D-District 70, madam! B-But- Hey, wait!"

It was too late; the Shihouin queen disappeared into a jet of charging air blast.

"Wait for me"

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"Where are the rebels you cowardly son of a bitch!" Naruto hoisted the gravely injured man who was pummelled to the ground countless times in an agonizing impact. "Now, you better tell me where are the rebels' base or I promise you, I will tear you a cosmos of new one! This is no longer your turf when I step foot into your boundaries. Now, tell me or when I'm through with you, you'll wish your very existence never existed before!"

"F-Fuck... y-you!" The rebel spat.

A violet shimmer of red glowed in his eyes, Naruto jammed his fist into the man's heart, eradicating his life in an instant. "Motherfucking son of a bitch." Tossing the corpse away in apathy, the blonde walked towards the quavering group of fatally wounded rebels, growling in dirt, desperately trying to escape the captain shinigami's lethal clutches.

Chuckling darkly, Naruto smirked. "You can run but you can't... run... away from me."

The blonde seized the nearby rebel's head and squeezed, earning him a scream of torment. "Listen to me you self-loathing son of a bitch, you better tell me where the base is so I can end your life painlessly. Or, if you insist, I can make you suffer for the next five hours and watch you twitching in misery before I slit your throat and watch your fucking life fade away. What do you say?"

Naruto depleted his strength, allowing the rebel to calm himself. "Your answer?"

"I-It's... on the underground... three miles away from here... at the shop c-called, 'Sound Shine". ...Will you l-let me go, please?" The veracious rebel pleaded.

With a patronising glare, Naruto grinned malevolently. "Sure."

Remorselessly, the blonde twisted the man's neck. "Fool."

"N-Naruto-kun?" A new, but familiar voice caught Naruto's attention. "What's going on with you?"

The blonde whirled his sight to the intruder and smiled. "Yo-chan, I got good news for you! I found the rebel's headquarters. I'm going there and end this meaningless war."

Yeaning to embrace his love, Naruto reached for her but to his surprise, she jerked back. "I don't know you anymore! The Naruto-kun I love wouldn't kill someone as merciless as you did!"

The blonde simply chuckle. "Those words coming from an assassin? Come on, Yo-chan, this is gold. We just need to invade their base and do what we have to do. You know better than I do. This war has brought nothing but trauma and pain to many people. As long as the rebels aren't vanquished from Soul Society, the commoners will only suffer pointlessly. I don't see any problems with what my duties assign me for."

"Naruto-kun, just let other soldiers take care of the situation at hand."

"By the time they're here, those son of bitches are gone for long." Naruto's austere frown scared the shivering Yoruichi. "I'm not going to let this opportunity slips away from me. Now, you're either with me, or against me."

At that moment, a few beings materialized before them. "We're coming with you, Naruto."

The rebels widened their eyes in trepidation as they caught sight of the new entities and registered their identities. "W-We're doom! Captain of the second division, Shihouin Yoruichi. Captain of the ninth division, Muguruma Kensei. Captain of the fifth division, Hirako Shinji and ... Captain of the tenth division, Uzumaki Naruto! There're no way we can win this war..."

"That's right you dick, you can't win from the start. Why start all this escapades in the first place?" Naruto shot a blast of violet flames from his palm and incinerated the timorous rebels to dust within seconds. "Sokatsui. The show is over here, let's move out."

To say Kensei, Shinji and Yoruichi were consternated by Naruto's ruthless execution was an understatement; they didn't believe the blonde they knew could deliver such crude punishment, clearly inexorable to the pitiful prayers for mercy. Yoruichi desperately tried to clear the shambles within her mindscape and speculated the situation. _"Naruto-kun is definitely not behaving like he should be. His murderous intention... oh no! It can't be that he's influenced by the natural calamity, Kyubi no Yoko's soul? It must be!" _

Before they hit the road, the Shihouin queen noticed the arrival of an exhausted Byakuya. "Y-You guys... a-are too fast!"

Devising a plan, Yoruichi made sure Naruto was in a safe distance away from them before whispering to Kensei and Shinji. "If Naruto-kun overreacts, we have to intervene and stop him. Little Byakuya!" The Kuchiki heir stepped forward warily. "I want you to return back to Soul Society."

"What!? I just got here and you want me to leave?"

"Shut up and listen you numbskull! We don't have much time! I want you to head back to the courts and find Unohana taichou and bring her here. Right now, only she can explain Naruto-kun's strange condition. Now, get going before it's too late."

Byakuya raised a confused brow. "Too late for what?"

"Just go!"

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

By the time Yoruichi, Kensei and Shinji reached the underground, they were sickened by the river of blood and corpses scattered randomly in the tenebrous hallway, dread with a foul odour of death. Kensei pinched his nose and muttered. "My God, did Naruto do all these?"

Shinji inspected the slash marks embedded on the walls and tapped his chins. "Most likely. Who else can cause so much damage except Naruto and his grandfather? You know what? After today, I strongly believe that nobody will want to spend the rest of their lives having Uzumaki Naruto on their asses. Remind me not to piss that guy off."

"Stop goofing around, guys! We've to find Naruto-kun." Yoruichi lectured.

A shockwave of reiatsu collided onto the trio unexpectedly in which Kensei recognized instantly. "That's Naruto's spiritual pressure. Let's go."

The three captains rushed to the source, and when they reached the end of the hallway, Yoruichi gasped in fear. Her once kind sweetheart was now a stranger to her. In his right hand, he gripped the hilt of his blade coated with raw blood. In his left hand, he gripped a few beheaded men's head via their hair and his captain haori was soaked in fresh crimson dye. "Oh? I'm sorry for stealing all your fun but I just couldn't wait killing them."

The blonde threw the heads onto the pyramid of severed corpses in cold disdain. "Pitiful son of bitches. Didn't even worth me killing them."

"Enough! Naruto-kun! I don't know who you are anymore!" Tears swelled in the Shihouin queen's sunglow eyes as she ran to her fiancée's side and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Come back to me, my love. Please!"

"What are you talking about? I'm just getting started. These fools have already disclosed to me other bases. I have to get there and crush it!"

Kensei slammed his fists into his palm. "That's it. I'm going to knock your senses back, Naruto!"

Yoruichi, Shinji and Kensei were taken aback by the red illumination glowing from Naruto's eyes. Pushing Yoruichi away roughly, Naruto snickered wickedly. "Bring it, bitch."

Howling out a deafening roar cry, Kensei charged into his best friend and launched a fist into Naruto's abdomen, sending the blonde crashing into the walls. "I'm going to make you cry like a sissy jerk, Naruto."

The smokescreen caused from the destruction of the wall stirred abruptly and in an instant, Kensei flew backwards in a jolting pain. Shinji, without hesitation, drew his sword and attempted a strike. Sensing danger, the blonde ducked the diagonal slash and threw his foot into Shinji's chest, propelling his opponent into the opposite wall. Before Shinji was attacked, he could swear he saw horrifying murderous intent in Naruto's eyes, glinting in sadistic excitement as the Yamamoto heir was readied to obliterate him. "I'm disappointed, not much of a challenge, boys. How about we push our fight up a notch, brothers?"

Shinji and Kensei emerged from the debris, completely and utterly pissed by Naruto's assault.

"This is over for you, Naruto! Collapse, Sakanade!" Shinji bellowed as a powerful reiatsu emanated from his sword while it transformed into its shikai.

"Don't blame us for kicking your ass, bro. Blow it away, Tachikaze!" Kensei released his unparalleled spiritual pressure as the wind encircling his katana moulded it into a survival knife.

"You two, kicking my ass? Hah! Don't make me laugh! Rage of the heavenly storm, Fujin Hyogatsu!" Naruto grinned as transcendental spirit energy ruptured from the blonde's sword as it took its own transformation.

"Kensei! Shinji! Naruto-kun! Please, stop!"

"I'm sorry, Yoruichi, but if we don't bring our brother back, we won't be able to call ourselves his comrade." Shinji focus his gaze sternly at his fellow blonde. "We don't want to do this, Naruto... but I think you've smelled it, haven't you?"

Naruto widened his eyes as he comprehended his fellow blonde's underlying message and swiftly clamped his nose. _"W-What is this!? My vision... its-"_

"It's too late, Naruto! Welcome... to my inverted world."

Wielding his knife proficiently, Kensei swung upwards, sending air vines towards his best friend. Reacting to reflexes, the blonde prepared to defend himself against the impeding attacks by shielding himself with an invisible air barrier but recalling the fact that Shinji's zanpakuto was activated, Naruto twirled backwards and created the barrier hastily. As predicted, everything within his view was reversed as Kensei's attack struck from his back. "You almost got me there, Shinji, but not good enough!"

With a flick of his wrist, an almighty but transparent force slammed upon Kensei and Shinji, sending the two unprepared captains flying into the tunnel walls. "Have you forgotten, brothers? My zanpakuto allows me to control air as if controlling gravity. It also allows me to manipulate the shape of air particles, making them thick and dense or smooth and swift. There's a huge differences between air and wind, Kensei."

"Bakudo no. 30: Shitotsu Sansen!"

Three beaks of light pinned Naruto against the wall, courtesy of Yoruichi's spell. Rushing to her fallen comrades' side, the captain of squad two queried them in worriment. "Are you guys alright?"

Kensei coughed out blood as he clutched his chest. "That hurts like a bitch!"

"Pretty much the same." Shinji wiped the blood off his chin. "Damn, never see that coming."

"Put me down, Yo-chan! What are you doing! Are you going against me as well!? Your fiancé?!" Naruto roared, his voice changing demonically as claws sprouted out from his fingers. "Don't you dare defy me, Yo-chan!"

"You! What have you done to my Naruto-kun! Who're you!? Are you the Kyubi no Yoko!?"

The blonde grinned disturbingly. "Kyubi no Yoko? Hah! I'm way better than that half ass lazy piece of shit! I'm the hybrid fusion of Naruto and that fox. Half shinigami, half demon, but stronger than both!"

"K-Kyubi no Yoko?" Kensei staggered. "W-What's going on, Yoruichi!? Isn't that a legend? A myth?"

"No..." Yoruichi balled her fist. "That's Naruto-kun's secret... something he revealed to me when we're in the academy. I promise never to tell anybody but judging from this situation, I've no choice."

"W-What are you talking about?" Shinji widened his eyes as he deconstructed and deciphered the puzzle. "Naruto is a Jinchuriki?! A human host who has his or her life sacrificed, condemned for eternity by having the demon's soul sealed within the core of the human's... soul. I-I thought that was just a joke... but... it's true!? Why didn't Naruto tell us!? We're his brothers, his comrades! We deserve to know!"

"FREE ME! YO-CHAN! HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME! YOU-" A needle stabbed into Naruto's jugular vein and spontaneously, the blonde fell unconscious.

"It seems like Kyubi's spirit energy has created another terrifying entity within my son's soul."

"U-Unohana taichou!" Yoruichi exclaimed.

"Thanks to Byakuya's reports, I've abandoned my post and come and check on Naru-chan. It seems that his condition has worsened."

"W-Worsen? What do you mean by that?" Solicitude and unspeakable fear adorned on Yoruichi's features as she asked.

"We will talk in my hospital. Now, let us hurry and bring Naru-chan back. He won't be returning back to conscious within the next three hours."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

The elites had gathered, waiting for Unohana to prepare for her speech. Kensei, Kukaku, Shinji, Rose, Lisa, Mashiro and Kisuke stood silently around the bed of their comatose friend, Naruto, while Yoruichi sat beside her lover, her hand gripped softly at the blonde's hand. The Shiba princess was the first to speak. "So, what's going on? How did Naruto-baka screw Kensei-baka and Shinji-baka up? Why summon all of us here?"

"Because, there is something very important that only with Naru-chan's permission can I reveal his secret to you." Retsu sighed as she watched her surrogate son slept peacefully on the bed. "A few days ago, his... condition has worsened and he told me that he is unable to tame his emotions well and experiencing severe mood swings. And, the only solution I could produce is his stress at work that influences him. But, with thorough inspection, I believe that my previous answer is wrong."

It was then Naruto stirred in his wake. "...I'll tell them the truth, Baa-chan."

Lisa arched a brow. "The truth?"

"I'm the jailor of the mythical beast, Kyubi no Yoko. The fox's soul is one with me and it is without a doubt that it has created a second version of me in my subconscious and mindscape that pushes out my entire battle instinct in exchange for my sanity." Naruto sighed as his friends gasped.

"Y-You serious!? Why didn't you tell all of us?" Rose demanded.

Mashiro clutched her head comically and sighed. "I don't get it at all!"

Retsu interjected for Naruto. "Because a jinchuriki is a condemned being unworthy to be called a human in the world of the living. Naru-chan was murdered because of his statues before he was adopted by Yamamoto sotaichou."

"B-But why!? Jinchuriki is human as well! They have blood and soul. They're not the demon, they're the jailor! Big differences! How could they do this!?" Yoruichi cried as she cringed onto her lover. "Naruto-kun is no demon!"

"This is my burden, Yo-chan. Demon or not, there are no differences. I'm a jinchuriki, destined to be... alone." Naruto emphasised the last word in sorrow.

"SHUT UP, NARUTO-BAKA!" Kukaku literally jumped onto the blonde's bed and snatched his collar. "Don't you dare tell yourself that you're alone! You have us! Your friends and your family! Don't you go emo on us, you stupid jackass!"

"Yeah, bro. No matter what, we're friends!" Kensei smirked. "Brothers for life, you shitty asshole."

Shinji leaned against the wall and sighed. "Your burden is ours as well, alright? If you call us your comrade, then let us shoulder that burden for you."

"This scene will be more touching if you're any less perverted than Kyoraku taichou." Lisa grinned while Mashiro giggled uncontrollably.

Rose chuckled. "I personally find having a friend who hosts a powerful demon in his gut cool."

Kisuke stroked his chin. "Interesting. I'm so gonna research more about all this jinchuriki marathon parade issues when I get back to my lab!"

"T-Thanks... guys..." Naruto wiped the sole tear cascaded down his cheek before the Shihouin queen squeezed the bedridden blonde's hand, catching his attention. "Yo-chan... I... I..."

"I will always love you, no matter what you've become." Yoruichi smiled earnestly, and their friends whistled.

"Thank you... Yo-chan... I love you... so much."

Though Retsu didn't wish to interrupt such a heart-warming, romantic scene, she had to proceed to the major issue. "About your Kyubi fusion..."

Naruto turned his attention to his surrogate grandmother and frowned. "_He's_ suppressed... for now."

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
(Present)

"Yeah, I remember that incident. I brought Gin to the academy the next day while you decided to enter a few years later. I must say, Gin is very talented. He even surpasses me!" Naruto laughed. "Luckily, he decided to join this squad after his graduation. And now, you came. It will be an honour working with you, Rangi-chan."

Rangiku blushed at the suffix used. "No, sir, I'm truly honoured working with you, Uzumaki-taichou."

"If you have any problems, just ask Byakuya and Gin when I'm not around."

"What's Gin's rank in the squad? I rarely talk to him ever since he graduated."

Naruto smiled. "He's the third seat of our squad. Last I remember, you two have something going on, right?"

The new recruit waved a dismissive, rather nervous hand. "No, no! W-We're... just friends."

"It's alright. It's not like I prohibit relationship going on in my division. Just don't get distracted when you're on duty. Now, get to work."

Rangiku simply giggled. "Yes, sir!"

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Naruto left his office and walked towards his lieutenant's station before informing Byakuya his schedule. "Hey, kid, I'm going off early. Gotta visit my grandfather and then I'm going to Shinji's organized boys-night-out for a while. If Yo-chan calls, tell her I'll be home for dinner, alright?"

"Understood, sir. By the way, Gin is fed up with you for asking him to buy ramen and not paying him for it."

"Ah, tell him to suck it up." Naruto grinned before tossing a stack of cash to the Kuchiki heir. "Pass the money to that stingy bastard for me."

"Roger." Byakuya replied monotonously as he resumed work.

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Genryusai was sipping his tea, seating comfortably in his favourite seat his surrogate grandson made for him decades ago. A gentle breeze blew into the living hall and the old captain placed his cup on the small table beside him before speaking to the familiar intruder. "How's your new home, Naruto?"

"It's perfect!" The blonde sat on the chair directly opposite his grandfather. "The house isn't too big or too small. Won't get lost like how I get lost here often. Seriously, I've been living here for decades and I still get lost sometimes. I still remember once I merely wanted to replace those shitty, half-ass batteries in my lamp and it took me an hour just to find two brand new batteries!"

Chortling benevolently, Genryusai sighed contently. "How's your wife?"

"She's like an angel to me." Naruto smiled.

"I'm glad that you find yourself a beautiful wife, both physically and personality wise."

"Yeah..."

"I wish to discuss with you something important though." Genryusai's tone was strictly solemn. "I'm old, Naruto, and I need somebody to take my place."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "As the new leader of the Yamamoto clan?"

"As well as my position as the Captain Commander in Seireitei."

The blonde coughed indignantly. "W-What!?"

"You're strong, talented and powerful. Definitely a great candidate for my position."

"Nah. I'll stick with being the captain of my squad. After all, my squad is one big family to me. I can't just stand up and leave them be."

The old captain exhaled a tired breathe. "Fine. But, please reconsider my offer, Naruto."

"I will..."

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The little event that brought mates to keep updates and news between each other, Shinji created the social meeting to enhance their bonds since they're separated due to divisions' differences. It was fairly a jokes and stories convention hall and they enjoyed joyously. The room was actually a dojo with an enormous table situated in the middle of the room, a few set of chairs and a spacious spot for sparring.

Shinji sighed as he slumped into his seat; apparently, all the males were there except Naruto. "You know, it is just unbelievable when I become captain. All the haters in Soul Society suddenly manifest themselves when I become famous and shit and they will start sending all those petty hate letters to me. You know what's strange, I actually read those letters. I will just spend hours reading them about how I should die and how I should resign from my post and all these fucked-up things. And seriously, after hours of reading, I really tell myself aloud that Hirako Shinji... is really an asshole."

Kisuke and Kensei guffawed while Rose tried to suppress his laughter.

"But, it isn't over yet! There is this son of a bitch I will never forget. I read a letter that was sent personally to me by a guy called, 'Anonymous', and this was how it went."

Shinji coughed dramatically. "'Dear Shinji, all of your friends died just to get away from your shitty attitude'. And my first thought was, 'very unlikely'. Seriously, if they want to get away from me, then they can just avoid me. How ridiculously stupid can that be? And then, two weeks ago, I receive another letter written by 'Anonymous', again. My obvious first reaction was, 'check out this motherfucker!' I'm gonna read the letter to you guys, word by word."

Shinji took out a letter from his pocket and smirked. "'Dear Shinji, I was drinking out of work and depressed when I wrote the letter to you a couple years ago. I was dealing with the lost of my friends and I finally understood you.' I was simply bewildered."

Kensei was choking in his laughter. "What happen next!?"

"I wrote back. I just decided to write back. And I wrote this to him, 'Dear Anonymous, your mates left you because they're tired dealing with your COWARDLY, SPINELESS, FUCKED-UP attitude.' You know what? I actually felt good sending the letter to that motherfucker. It's alright though, I'm gonna apologize to him a couple years later."

Rose, Kisuke and Kensei laughed at Shinji's story and gradually calmed themselves. Kensei wiped his tears and smirked. "You have one fucked-up relationship with your fans!"

Regaining his composure, Rose spoke. "Say, have you guys notice the girls populous are starting to exceed the males?"

"That's great! I saw this chick in Rukongai a week ago and my god, I'll take up her slack! She has one hot piece of ass!" Kensei whistled.

Shinji grinned. "Always nice to have a pretty lady hanging around in the courts, huh?"

It was then the door opened, revealing the arrival of Naruto. "Sorry, I was discussing something with my gramps. What's up? What did I miss?"

Kisuke responded. "We're just talking about the temptresses in Soul Society."

"Jerk married the last eye candy. Took Yoruichi out from the market. I'm sure many guys must be cursing him at his wedding." Kensei smirked at his best friend who merely shrugged and took the nearby seat.

Shinji whistled mischievously. "Sure miss our little 'Yo-chan', around here."

"Nah, I don't think you do." Naruto chuckled.

"Hey, Naruto, wanna hang out with us after work in that pub that opened three weeks ago?" Rose offered.

Sighing heavily, Naruto shook his head. "Ah, damn! You're killing me! I can't leave man. I'm in the middle of a moving, gotta go home to Yo-chan or she'll be upset."

"Come on! Just tell Yoruichi-san that we have some emergence or something. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Dude, I'm already retired and coaching from the game, if you guys catch my drift. I'm sure you guys should find a decent girl and settle down."

"Whatever! Just come with us!" Shinji exclaimed.

Naruto paused dramatically before replying. "Nah, I have to go home after our meeting."

"So?" Kisuke queried in confusion.

"So?" Naruto repeated as he arched a brow and clutched his chest."Do I look like a man who wants a divorce?"

"Just come up shit or excuses to your damn woman!" Kensei howled in frustration.

Tapping his chin in mock contemplation, Naruto smirked. "Nah, I'll rather stay married."

"Coward!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah."

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The blonde strolled towards his new home. Upon reaching the entrance of the gate of his house, he saw his wife, leaning against the doorway, smirking impishly at him. Naruto smiled at his wife and snaked his hands around Yoruichi's hips. "What are you doing outside here?"

"Waiting for you, apparently?" The Shihouin queen giggled. "Come in, baby. I still want another test-drive with you on our carpet."

"Oh, honey, you're so bad."

"Isn't that why you married me?" Yoruichi lead her husband to their house, but unexpectedly, a bright pillar of light ascended to the night clouds, enveloping the pair in the process. Naruto tightened his embrace protectively of his wife. "W-What the hell?"

That was the last words he spoke before they disappeared from their realm.

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Next chapter: Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto meets Uzumaki Naruto. A.K.A Shinigami Naruto meets Ninja Naruto.

That's right! Naruto is going to meet the cannon Naruto! I've been urging to write this chapter for a long time. I ensure you, the next chapters will be exciting!

Peace out.

(PS: I forgot to state this but, it is true that I took Dane Cook's jokes for Shinji. Hey, I love Dane Cook's jokes and I figure Shinji could well-portray Dane Cook fittingly! Yes, as for the first scene, I took it from the movie, 'Obsessed' by Beyonce. I was watching it at a regular sunday night TV channel and I found it interestingly similar to what I have in mind. I will suggest you to watch the movie and listen to Dane Cook's jokes. Makes me laugh... most of the time. The movie is great as well. Don't forget to watch Supernatural as well if you love... supernatural things.)

(PPS: English is not my native language. To that person who said that the Australia's university standard is low due to the fact that my English standard is weak, I thank you for your concern. I will try my best to improve my English. If you find my work disgusting or simply novice, I will suggest you not to read it because your comment is not just simply discouraging, but you're indirectly insulting Australia's educational level. Typically, I will refer you as a racist, self-centred, ignorant bastard. Good day. :D )

(PPPS: I have read the story, Neo Yondaime Hokage. It is a great story and it has a marvelous plot. But, this isn't a 'rip-off' from Neo Yondaime Hokage. Whatever his work is about, I will not copy it. If you already held such beliefs that my story is going to be a rip-off, hey dude, DON'T READ IT! As simple as that. The next few chapters are more like a minor time-travelling, dimension skipping fic. Seriously, have you not read stories that have characters skipping into the past or into another dimension? )

(In conclusion: Credits for the first scene and Shinji's jokes go to the movie, Obsessed, by Beyonce and Dane Cook respectively.)


	11. Breaking the Habit: Hatred Awakens

Hey! Sorry for the long update! As I promised, here is the good fun. I have fun writing it.

**~ Breaking the habit: Hatred awakens ~**

Gin, Byakuya and Rangiku decided to spend their day off catching up their daily lives in a sake bar, typical of a certain strawberry-blonde woman. After their reunion in the bar, Byakuya had to return a document to his captain and decided to head to Naruto's new house along with Gin and Rangiku. The strawberry-blonde was surprised that her friends were quite closed to their captain. "So, do you two often hang out in taichou's house?"

Gin chuckled. "Yeah. Basically, we go there sometimes for training or just killing time by talking nonsenses."

"You're the one who talks nonsenses most of the time." Byakuya scoffed.

"Look who's talking, Bya-Bya."

An angry tick formed on the Kuchiki heir's forehead. "Stop calling me that, you idiot!"

Rangiku smacked Gin's head lightly. "You never change, haven't you? Always rubbing people off the wrong way."

"Isn't that why you like me?" Gin whispered suggestively.

"W-Who will like you!" Rangiku desperately tried to hide her fluster.

"You can't lie to me! I know Ran-chan inside out-"

"Hey, look!" Byakuya pointed a finger at the opened gate of Naruto's house. "It's fairly uncommon for captain to leave his door open in the middle of the night."

"Who knows?" Gin scratched the back of his head. "Perhaps, he decides to jog every street in Seireitei and while he's at it, he helps clean the garbage for others as well and leaves everybody's door open in the process. That's right! He probably got too excited in opening people's door he decides to open his door as well! Right, that's what happened. Taichou is officially the door-kicker of the month in Soul Society! Case closed!"

"What a ridiculous hypothesis." Rangiku sweat dropped.

The Kuchiki heir sighed. "I think I'm just going to leave the document in his letterbox then."

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"W-What the fuck just happened?" Naruto surveyed the surrounding in a mixture of annoyance, frustration and… more annoyance. "That was some fucked-up shit! One moment we're in our house's doorstep, and then we ended up in this damn forest! What is going on! Is this a sick prank? What is happening!"

Yoruichi pondered as she studied the tenebrous forest. "Hmm… I have a theory."

Arching a brow, the blonde gave a cue for his wife to continue. "Go ahead."

"Simple. We're sucked by a portal which transports us from our world to another dimension. So, we're basically not in our world."

Naruto arched a sceptic brow. "You serious? That's absurd."

"Oh! I don't see you coming up a-"

At that moment, a shuriken, in an abnormal massive size, soared towards the blonde. Reacting to stimulated impulse, Naruto halted the charging shuriken by grabbing the weapon with his bare hands in precise timing while keeping his eyes leisurely at his lover. Exhaling a tired breath, the blonde threw the shuriken aside and yawned. "Why the hell did they manufacture a giant shuriken for?"

Yoruichi was in a dazed stupor as she caught sight of something considered anomalous to reality. Trying to gain attention from Yoruichi, Naruto waved his hands in front of his wife fervently. "Hey… honey? You there? What's wrong?"

"L-Look." Yoruichi pointed to a direction, in which the blonde turned his focus to a tree before them and widened his eyes.

Standing not far from them, was an exact replica of Naruto, except in a much younger form who was shivering in unknown trepidation. "Is… is that one of my fans? He looks just like me! I think he wants my autograph."

The Shihouin queen sweat dropped. "No…"

Beckoning the child towards them, Yoruichi spoke in a soft, rather benevolent tone. "We mean you no harm, boy. Come here, we won't hurt you."

Naruto.Y **(I shall call him Naruto Yamamoto to avoid confusion) **crossed his hands. "Can he even see us?"

The child, wearing an unsightly orange jumpsuit, took a sloppy step forward and muttered. "I-I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I think… I summon the two of you by those scrolls I was trying to learn. M-Mizuki-sensei told me that if I take these scrolls and learn, I can pass my exam! I-I even learned the Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

Upon hearing the child's name, Yoruichi and Naruto's eyes almost popped out from their eyes sockets. Regaining their mental bearing, the blonde captain queried warily. "He can see us? Wait a sec, what's your name again, kid?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. G-Got a problem with that?"

"Damn right I have a problem! Because I'm the true Na- mmph!" Yoruichi clamped her husband's mouth before he could finish his statement and pulled him away.

Releasing her clutch, the Shihouin queen whispered in irritation. "What's the matter with you! You shouldn't tell him your true identity that easily! We're in a place that we're unfamiliar with!"

"What's wrong with telling him my true identity? Firstly, we look like identical twins. There's no way anybody can't tell by our looks. Secondly, there can always be two Naruto in this world, right? I'll just fake a lie, saying I'm his…uh… long-lost relative! Or it is just so coincidence that somebody in this HUGE wide world who shares a freaking same look as me, as well as my name and surname and... my likes in orange."

The queen rolled her eyes. "Like hell somebody will believe you."

"You'll never know if you don't try, right?"

Suddenly, a barrage of kunai flew towards the pair. Unfazed with the assault, Naruto.Y released a portion of his spiritual pressure; the kunais paused and vibrated aggressively in the atmosphere as they were slammed by the pressure and eventually fell harmlessly to the ground. "Looks like we're unwanted here. Come out now, I can feel you there!"

A figure landed before them and sneered. "Give me the scroll, Uzumaki!"

"Never! Y-You lie to me! You hurt Iruka-sensei!"

"Fuck that wimp! Be a good boy and give me the scroll, now!."

An civil idea formulated in his mind, the blonde captain intruded the heated conversation. "Hey! Er… I don't know what all this is about but… can we settle this in peace? Let's resolve this with a diplomatic solution, okay?"

Mizuki stared at the man in curiosity. "You look just like the demon. Judging by those disgusting whisker marks on your cheeks, you must be a demon spawn!"

Naruto.Y quirked a smirk and sighed. "They do give me a 'demon' moniker when I'm in the battlefield but… I'm no demon spawn. Hate to break this to you but, that child isn't a demon spawn either."

Mizuki simply scoffed. "What makes you so sure about that? Let me tell you this classified secret that all adults in Konoha are forbid to disclose…"

A man with a pony tail on his hair emerged from the darkest domain of the forest, clutching his wounded chest painfully and screamed. "No… Mizuki! You cannot-"

"This child IS THE HOST OF THE NINE-TAIL FOX!" Mizuki laughed hysterically. "That's right! The nine-tail fox lives in this brat's soul!"

Yoruichi swirled her sight to her husband and was horrified with her lover's sudden frigid, rather distantly impassive expression. _"No… I've seen this face before. He only does that when he starts slaughtering ruthlessly in the battlefield. Wait a minute; if that child is the jinchuuriki of the nine-tail fox, and then Naruto-kun…I see…The puzzle has been solved! We've entered to another dimension where another Naruto-kun exists! And that means my theory is right! Wait a sec, it also means that this dimension has another me as well!"_

"I see…" Naruto.Y spoke stoically. "So, this child is me after all. The only difference is he survives what happen when we're five."

Fearing for the worst, the Shihouin queen held her husband's hand tightly. "Naruto-kun…"

"I'm fine… don't worry about me. You're Mizuki, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Naruto.Y smiled sinisterly. "That's all the information I need."

In an instant, the blonde captain vanished into a charging air blast and reappeared behind Mizuki, sheathing his sword which was coated with blood while murmuring silently. "Fujin Hyogatsu: First style, Oni Giri." **(Demon slash)**

Subsequently, Mizuki vomited blood as his body received a total of nine fatal slashes and collapsed to the cold earth, his blood gradually formed a puddle of crimson liquid on the surface of the unforgiving soil.

"Never try to hurt those you can't kill. A lesson you get to learn after death. Truly pitiful." The blonde captain's voice echoed solemnly throughout the forest. "This world is filled with sinners. I must exterminate them to bring peace and justice to the world… I must…"

The Shihouin queen, unwilling to allow her lover fell into the abyssal depth of despair, ran towards Naruto.Y and embraced him from his back. "Naruto-kun… please stop! You're scaring me!"

Yoruichi twirled her husband around to face her as she whispered in a smoothing tone. "Remember that one time you went to investigate Rukongai's corrupted district? You lost your mind and starts massacring whoever stood before you. You even try to kill Kensei and Shinji, your best friends, who try to stop you from your madness! Don't let your sorrow consumes you, Naruto-kun. C-Come back to me…"

The cold sapphire eyes that lurked an aura of calamity gradually regained conscious. Drawing out a long breathe, Naruto.Y managed to subdue the vicious side of him and lowered his head in regret. "I-I'm sorry… you're not suppose to see… that."

"It's alright. Just… don't do that again. Who knows what will happen if you release all your power at once?"

The blonde captain turned and gazed at the younger version of him. "Hey, you! Naruto, right? Come over here a sec."

The boy was both amazed and frightened over the entity that had similar appearance of him. The man, wearing a white haori along with a black kimono underneath, was able to slay Mizuki in a speed unparallel to any human's capability; he didn't even catch a glimpse of when or how the man drew his sword. Mizuki's life was vanquished in the hand of somebody who looked identical to him and that fact intrigued him deeply.

"Oi, kid! We're not going to harm you, alright? I only kill trashes like him so don't worry if I'm going to kill you or not. Do as what I say and come here."

Nodding dumbly, the boy sped towards Naruto.Y. "W-What is it?"

The blonde captain squatted down beside his younger replica and sighed. "Listen, kid. I know life is hard for you… but I understand, and only I can understand your pain. I understand the grief you're suffering. I know… that every year during your birthday, they… abuse you. I can relate to your pain because I've suffered and experienced the same thing you've gone through. It's hell… I know. It's tormenting to know that humanity only judge others by mere misconception and false beliefs but…"

Naruto widened his eyes, stupefied that somebody claimed to know his pain as much as he did. "No! I… will change that. I'll be the greatest Hokage so nobody will dare to look down on me!"

It was nostalgic; almost as if a tidal wave of forgotten memories resurfaced in Naruto.Y's mind. "I know you will. Even if the whole world despises you, I will always believe you. For you, Naruto Uzumaki, will be the greatest Hokage in this world… definitely."

"Y-You… believe in me?"

"That's right." Somehow, tears started to cascade down the blonde captain's cheeks. "Even if everybody says you're weak… even if everybody hates you… even if everybody glares at you with nothing but hatred in their eyes, I will always have faith in you."

"B-But why? Why will you believe a nobody like me? I know Oji-chan cares for me, but deep down in his heart, he doubts my skills. Everybody does!"

"But not me."

Naruto sniffed, his years of sealed sadness erupted. "W-Why n-not?"

"Because I'm you."

The younger blonde widened his eyes in confusion. "I don't understand…"

Naruto.Y clenched his fist tightly. "Remember the incident that happens when we're five?"

Yoruichi was silent; she never knew how exactly her husband died; after all, she was born in Soul Society. Besides, the man she loved, who masked a visage of unbreakable façade, never shattered the will of living and always retained an attitude of optimism. _"Naruto-kun… I have never seen you like this before. Is this the hidden side of you that you never show to anybody? Is this the past you lock so tightly in your heart that even I'm prohibit to see? The fragile side of you?"_

The younger blonde nodded. "I-I was… crucified and almost burned to death… by the villagers after I was thrown out… by the orphanage."

The Shihouin queen gasped.

"You're strong, kid, because you've survive that incident."

"W-What do you mean?"

"I didn't survive, kid. It all makes sense now. Yo-chan is right after all. We came from an alternative universe by the summoning techniques you have performed. In another words, you are stronger than me… you have much more potential than me." Naruto.Y wiped his flowing tears away and forced a light laugh. "Even enduring the tortures from the villagers, do you hate them for what they have done to you? Answer me honestly…"

Yoruichi was abolishing all of her murderous thoughts of creating a wide-scaled carnage in whatever village that had made her husband and the child's life miserable; instead, she suppressed her rage by clenching her fists firmly. _"And I thought my life sucks when I was a child. Naruto-kun's life is beyond imagination… I don't know who in this universe can go through all of that they've been through and didn't go insane. They don't deserve such a horrible life…"_

The younger blonde replied in slight hesitation. "I… I do feel angry at them for attacking me but… I… I know they must've suffered as well when… the fox attacked Konoha. I… don't hate them for what they've done but… I rather endure all this pain than having somebody else to endure it all for me."

"For someone your age to say these kind of things…" The blonde captain ruffled the younger blonde in a similar fashion of how Genryusai used to when Naruto.Y was young. "I'm proud of you, kid. I really do. I-"

At that moment, a few entities landed to the ground before them. "Naruto! Are you alright? I have received message from Iruka-san that Mizuki is trying to hurt you and… and… who are those people?"

"Oji-san! These two saved my life!" Naruto ran to his surrogate grandfather's side.

The blonde captain's golden fringes casted a disturbing shadow over his cerulean eyes as he stood up gradually. "Unfortunately, I'm not as noble as my younger self…"

Yoruichi's heart raced in fear as she was perturbed by her lover's statement laced with a tone of unemotional and merciless intent. "Naruto-kun… no!"

"I cannot forgive them for what they have done! Never! I'll kill all of you! Rage of the heavenly storm!" Naruto.Y's eyes emitted a menacing blue, his grip held tightly on the hilt of his sword as his spiritual pressure erupted in tremendous intensity by sheer rage.

Preventing an imminent catastrophe for occuring, Yoruichi dug her pocket and pulled out a syringe. Without allowing a moment of delay, the Shihouin queen jabbed the injection into her husband's hand, plunging the liquid into Naruto.Y's veins. "Wake up, Naruto-kun! Don't let your anger consumes you! You're never a reckless person! Come back to your senses, Naruto-kun! Come back to me! I need you!"

The audiences were unable to move due to the spiritual pressure pinning them in their spot. Never once felt this ungodly power before, Sarutobi staggered weakly. "I-Impossible… this is no chakra! …What supernatural is this? T-This gravity force… is unreal!"

Jerking the syringe out from Naruto.Y's hand, Yoruichi panted. _"Luckily, Unohana-san passed me this medicine to suppress Naruto-kun's rage after what happened during the Rukongai district incident. If Naruto-kun flipped, nobody can stop him… except his grandfather."_

Tranquillity replacing his pent-up wrath, Naruto.Y coughed painfully. "W-What is this… Yo-chan?"

"It's a medicine your grandmother made exclusive for you. She tells me to inject it into you if you… go berserk one day. I'm s-sorry… H-How are you feeling?"

Controlling the rampaging reiatsu within him, Naruto.Y channelled his fierce power into a serene state. Eventually, the blonde captain regained both his mental and physical states. "I felt like someone just throw a mountain at me. My head hurts... I've never been this angry before… is it because of Kyubi's influence?"

Yoruichi sighed. "I don't really know… perhaps because this realm of life contains two different Kyubi therefore…"

"I'm being controlled by _him_." Naruto.Y finished the sentence while his breathe laboured.

"H-Hold on a sec, what do you mean by two Kyubi in this realm of life? Who're you and what is your intention? You don't dress like a ninja or a samurai… who are you?" Sarutobi queried in worriment; it had been a while since he felt such fear in his aged heart.

"We have much to discuss." The blonde captain stated monotonously.

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"I'm sorry that I've threatened to kill you but… I believe somehow, my tenant was able to surpass my mental barrier and controlled me." Naruto deadpanned. "But if you wish for me to bow before you, you might as well kill me instead. I will not bow before the likes of you, lest showing respect."

Sarutobi sighed. "So… you're from another universe which Naruto accidentally summoned? And the both of you are … soul reapers?"

"Exactly." Yoruichi beamed, trying to enlighten the dusky ambience in the spacious room in which the walls were soundproof hence, their confidential conversation would not be leaked to the general populous. "You don't need to believe us. We only ask to train little Naru-chan and a place to stay temporary. Until we find a solution to our problem, we will stay to aid Naru-chan's growth and development. We have learned that little Naru-chan is living in an old apartment so it will be great if he moves in with us."

"It is not I who can make those decisions. The councils-"

"They can KISS my ass!" The blonde captain roared, causing Sarutobi to wince fearfully. "I don't give a shit if the councils blame you. I don't care if you are but a useless figure head that can't even make decisions yourself. And I certainly don't give a flying crap if the councils forbid our demands! That's right. We're not requesting anything from you. We're demanding; that means we get what we want, whenever we want, however we want and nobody can do anything about it! Unless… all of you wish to die, that is. I will definitely comply with that…wish."

Naruto.Y's iniquitous smirk sent chill to Sarutobi's spine. Yoruichi, in the other hand, pinched her lover's hand before laughing nervously at the Hokage. "S-Sorry… he hasn't recover yet… just give him some time to cool down and we'll talk some serious business. Right now, we simply need nice accommodation; if you fail to permit such simple request…."

Leaving the threat hanging, the old Hokage gulped; a woman's wrath was equivalent to hell and assaying his past experiences, it was always best not to provoke the paramount elite of the female race. "Of course. I'll arrange a place for you to stay but I cannot promise you that young Naruto could be sent under… I'm sorry but I didn't catch your names."

"Yamamoto Shihouin Yoruichi." The Shihouin queen smiled.

"Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto.Y folded his arms. "And I want my birthrights. Who are my parents before I died?"

"I-I cannot tell you."

The blonde captain drew his sword. "Then you WILL die…"

"Please! You don't understand! Y-Your birthrights… your parents… they're not alive anymore. That's all I can say."

Perceiving sincerity from the old Hokage's words, Naruto sheathed his blade and scanned the room, only to notice a photograph of a man who had an appearance identical to him. "Who's he?"

"He…is Namikaze Minato. The Yondaime Hokage. He is responsible in sealing the Kyubi into… you."

Yoruichi arched a brow. "And he died afterwards?"

Sarutobi only nodded in sadness. After a deep contemplation, Naruto decided to test a devised theory.

"I see… so he is my father, isn't he?" The Hokage's facial expression had given Naruto.Y's the undeniable truth.

"He did all that to protect the village. If you're him, what would you do, Naruto?" The old Hokage exclaimed. "He watches his wife, your mother, died in childbirth and personally seals a demon into his own son… how would that feel if you've experienced whatever he has experienced? Will you abandon your own country for the sake of your family or will you sacrifice yourself for the betterment of the world? "

The blonde captain clenched his fist tightly. "I won't blame him for sealing Kyubi into me… but how can you destroy a boy's childhood so easily?"

"Do you really think watching your younger self suffering in the streets is something I enjoy? It pains me to know that I'm only a guardian of the village and not a leader who can make decisions as easily as you think!"

"Then change! Do something!" Naruto argued.

"The civilian councils hold the majority rights to the public. We ninjas are beings who are trained to protect this village, nothing more, nothing less. The true leader of this country is the Damiyo."

"Let me speak with to this Damiyo so he or she can allocate the power differences in this village."

"The Damiyo only-"

"You have a week to arrange a meet." Naruto interrupted. "By the way, I've read through the Yondaime Hokage's files just now. Surprisingly, he owns a fortune estimated to worth more than half of this pitiful village and you keep it all away from the kid? I want my younger self, Naruto Uzumaki, to inherit all of our father's heritance immediately."

"You must not do that. Your father-"

"Has countless of enemies in Iwagakure but with my presence in this village, rest ensure that nobody can hurt my younger self. Besides, Yo-chan is here. Her power is more than enough to destroy this village in a single day so I believe her qualification as my younger self's guardian is certainly feasible. What do you think, Sarutobi-san?"

"Are you certain so?" Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, doubting the elder blonde's exaggeration.

"You sound as if our skills are not worthy enough yet. Very well, you can arrange a date where my wife can showcase her skills to you. It will be pleasant if the battle can commence in an arena where the entire villagers can witness. Three minutes are more than enough for her." Naruto.Y strolled towards the old Hokage and whispered darkly. "After all, she's the second strongest female shinigami in our world. It will be an insult to us if your men are weak."

Sarutobi widened his eyes; what mess had he ended himself with? "How do you define… weak?"

Naruto.Y disregarded the old Hokage's question and continued. "Please send somebody to escort my wife to our new house. Inform either me or her regarding the date of her battle. And before I go, you will call me, Namikaze Arashi, from now on. My full name shall not be revealed to this world. I am but Naruto's distant relative who travel from my village to Konohagakure with my beloved wife; if anybody inquires, this is the information you will give. That is all." Naruto spoke silently before ambling towards his wife and accompanied her to the ground level of the Hokage tower.

Sarutobi collapsed onto his chair and massaged his temples. "That Naruto is much more powerful than I've expected. I hope young Naruto will not hold such hatred in his heart and forgive the villagers."

Without hesitation, the Hokage pressed a button underneath his desk. "Call in Cat and Snake."

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"Yugao, Anko, you may remove your mask."

The two ANBU obliged their orders and removed their mask. In a blink of an eye, their masked puffed into white smokes and disappeared from existence.

"What is the new mission, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi sighed. "You are to serve as Namikaze Arashi and Namikaze Yoruichi's bodyguards and escorts."

The two, though trained to be emotionally reserved, were stunned to hear the surname once more.

Yugao was interested in the mission.

"Namikaze?" Cat asked. "Isn't that the clan Yondaime-sama belonged to? Last I heard, the prestigious clan was extinct along with Yondaime-sama. Are they really survivors?"

"Do not question the order. Just do as what you're told. To tell you the truth, even I hold no liberty to tell you any further. There will be an announcement to be made tomorrow. A match will be held to confirm their strength and identities. If they're from the Namikaze clans, then there proficiency in stealth, speed and agility must be beyond average shinobi." Sarutobi lied smoothly, not even showing the slightest hint of deception.

"Very well sir. When are we assigned to meet them?"

"Now. They're waiting for you downstairs. Bring them to the Namikaze compound. I've already sent several men to clean that place up. By the time the two of you have escorted them there, the men should have finished their work."

"Yes sir." The two ANBU saluted.

"Oh, one more thing. There is no need to wear your mask for this particular mission. The duration of it is unknown, therefore, you two will act as the Namikaze's personal body guards. Your friends and relatives, if somehow know briefly of what your mission is about, shall be silenced at all cost. This mission is classified as S-Class mission or beyond. Do not underestimate both of them, especially Na…uh… Arashi-san. I believe his power is on par or stronger than mine when I was in my prime. From the reports I gather, he is able to obliterate Mizuki like child's play. Do your best not to anger him, please?"

"Y-Yes sir!"

Before the two kunoichis left, the old Hokage stopped them with a scrutinising gaze. "Before I forget, the two of you are to send reports of their doing secretly, understand?"

"We know what to do." Anko assured. "Say, is this Arashi-san cute?"

Sarutobi rolled his eyes. "Dismissed!"

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"What's wrong with you today?" Yoruichi rubbed the scar on Arashi's hand in which the Shihouin queen forcefully injected with the syringe previously. "You're not behaving like you normally will be! The Naruto-kun I know isn't rude-"

"You don't understand…"

"Try me." Yoruichi gave a confident look.

"Humans are destructive beings. They are cunning and cruel. They use their family members, their friends, and their comrades for their own beneficial goods! Scums! All of them. They don't deserve any of my respect. They're flawed, murderous!" Naruto instantly realised that he had rehearsed what his future self had once said to him but kept his shock inwardly.

"Are we so different?"

"We…." Arashi wasn't able to conjure a divine answer. "I fail to see another side of them."

"You will." Yoruichi snuggled her head on her husband's broad chest and sighed blissfully. "Don't you think that our arrival might be fate's doing? Perhaps, fate wants to prove you wrong."

The blonde captain wrapped his hands around his lover's waist. "We'll see. Anyway, I'm sorry that I issue a challenge for you prior discussing it with you. I'm just... paranoid that the despicable people here might come to our premise and stir troubles. Once the match is over, your victory will warn those pussies not to mess with the super-duper awesome Yo-chan!"

Yoruichi giggled. "I know I'm awesome. You don't need to apologise though. I'll always trust your judgements. But, do you trust my abilities?"

"Of course. You're second only to Baa-chan in Soul Society."

"And in terms of beauty?"

"Who else will it be other than the strongest, bravest, the most beautiful Yamamoto Shihouin Yoruichi."

The Shihouin queen meowed seductively. "You and that sweet tongue of yours."

A loud cough was heard, causing Naruto to look over his wife's shoulder. "Yes, may I help you?"

"We're your bodyguards and escorts, sir." Anko winked flirtatiously. "But I can tell that you don't need any. You must be Arashi-sama. I'm Mitarashi Anko. This is my partner, Uzuki Yugao."

Yugao bowed in utmost politeness. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Yoruichi-sama. Arashi-sama."

"Arashi-sama…" The coquette temptress, Anko, spoke in a tone of lascivious intent. "We might need your protection instead…"

To her surprise, Arashi's expression was firm, his unwavering attitude showed no sign of being seduced by Anko. His pair of sapphire eyes remained dispassionate and calm as he studied the two female ANBU analytically; being studied under Arashi's stern glances sent chills up the two kunoichis' spine. "Very well, escort my wife to the compound. I will like to have a stroll before returning to our new accommodation. Let no harm befall on Yo-chan."

"Understood." Yugao bowed, unwilling to show her blush to her new master. Inwardly, she was surprised to know that a man at his calibre was faithful to his wife in an unspeakable, or rather, unbelievable degree.

"Naru- I mean… Arashi-kun, do you remember our little oath?"

Arashi rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration as he recited his wife's personal rules. "No drinking, no smoking and no finding trouble; casual flirting is permitted, but no intense activity. Failure to meet the requirement will be... castrated by you. Gotcha."

Delivering a quick peck on his wife's moist lips, the blonde captain dissipated into a gentle breeze, startling the two ANBU in the process.

An awkward silence intruded before Yoruichi twisted around and faced her new escorts with a decisive smile adorning on her features. "Say, do any of you realise that the three of us have purple hair? How about a game of tag? Winner of the game will be the most awesome purple-head in this village. What do you say? Who is up to the challenge?"

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"So, this is Konoha, huh?" Arashi studied the streets. As he surveyed various stores' signage insouciantly, he came across a bookstore. "Interesting. Do ninja village sell books in the middle of a night? Maybe that's one of the perks living in a village filled with ninjas."

The blonde stepped into the shop; the bell ranged, symbolising the alert of his arrival. The storekeeper, aware of the formalities his customer was emanating, greeted in excitement. "Welcome! Please have a look at our range of books!"

"You sell books at night?"

The storekeeper arched a brow. "You must be new here. With that katana strapped on your waist, you must be a samurai, aren't you?"

Arashi simply shrugged.

"Well, in a ninja village, some stores opened 24/7. Mine is one of those stores. You see, most ninjas work at night and sleep at day so someone must open business for them as well."

"I see. May I know where I can find books regarding about history."

"Walk down the hallway of my library and turn left in the second corner."

"Thanks." The blonde nodded before departing for his designated destination. As he reached the shelves, a title caught his full attention. Immediately, Arashi grabbed the spine of the book and pulled it out before muttering the title. "Massacre of the Uchiha Clan."

The shinigami flipped a few pages and had an avid read. The book's content stated several plausible theological ideologies behind the mystery of the carnage that happened in the Uchiha clan a few years ago. Media deliberately tried to seize information but was told that it was Uchiha Itachi, a child prodigy, who slaughtered mindlessly that night. One theory claimed that the young Itachi was betrothed to somebody he detested; in an untamed rage, he massacre the whole clan and eloped with his secret lover.

"Ridiculous." Arashi chuckled before placing the book back into the shelf.

"Books are knowledge. Knowledge equals power. But sometimes, some knowledge is considered… trash." The blonde captain spoke to no one but himself.

"It varies in opinion." A feminine voice murmured. "Everything has both aspects of positivity and negativity. If your circumscribed mind strongly believes that something has no positive aspects, then it has no positive aspects. If one is obligated to see the grey nature of life, then one can understand life meaningfully."

"Are you a philosopher?"

"Nope." The female wearing a green vest with a pony tail tied behind her head offered a hand. "I'm Inuzuka Hana. And I'm a vet."

"I'm Namikaze Arashi." The blonde captain shook her hand with a comely smile. "I'm a… physician. Surgeon to be more precise."

"Really!" Hana cheered. "We must have a lot in common. Say, what do you specialise?

"Cardiovascular. I'm a cardiac surgeon. My grandmother is a doctor so she used to teach me the arts of acupuncture and some other medical arts. She tends to force me to remember every medical herbs and their advantageous and disadvantageous usages. Somehow, it becomes my interest in becoming a medical practitioner." The blonde smiled and took cognition of the vet's blushing cheeks. Nevertheless, he wasn't lying about his alternative profession as a doctor. "So, what do you do beside nursing pets?"

"Vets are rare in villages. I take care of almost all of the ninken in this village and various animals in the wildlife. I'm a part-time kunoichi though." Hana snuck a glance at her wristwatch and gasped. "Oh no! I'm late! Mom is so going to kill me. I gotta go. Hop by my clinic sometimes. It's just down the streets! See ya, Arashi-kun."

"Farewell. We will meet again soon."

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(Canon universe of Naruto: Court of pure souls)

"All of you have finally arrived." Genryusai slammed his staff onto the woodened ground. "It has come to my attention that currently, in the world of the living, there are two mysterious reiatsu signatures wandering in Konohagakure, a village that trains their younglings to become ninjas. What's truly strange about this incident is that, Shihouin Yoruichi's reiatsu is detected. Reports gather that one of the mysterious entities' reiatsu is completely identical to Shihouin taichou. Can you explain this perplexing situation, Shihouin taichou?"

Yoruichi arched a confused brow. "Me? In the world of the living? I was in my office the whole day doing those disgusting paperwork!"

"Then how do you explain somebody as if a doppelganger self of you in the world of the living?"

The female Shihouin leader shrugged nonchalantly. "Beats me. I'll like to know what's going on as well."

The captain commander eyed the captain of the second division in cautions before continuing his report. "Although that entity possesses the same reiatsu signature with Yoruichi taichou, the chairman of the science and research department, Kisuke Urahara, notices that that particular entity contains a slightly higher reiatsu level compares to Yoruichi taichou."

Everybody muttered with the captains next to them as the news were heard. Love, captain of the seventh division, stroked his chin. "Having reiatsu higher than a captain level shinigami? And stronger than Shihouin taichou? That's unheard of."

"That's not what I'm worried of." Genryusai exclaimed.

Jushiro took a step forward. "Are you worried of the second individual that you haven't spoken of? Is he or she a potential threat?"

"Yes. Between the two reiatsu signatures, the one beside the reiatsu signature that is identical to Yoruichi is considered beyond dangerous if he or she decides to attack Soul Society."

Everybody gasped.

Yoruichi asked hastily. "What is it? How strong is that guy?"

"That individual has twice the amount of reiatsu a captain-level shinigami should have." Urahara voiced out the information, leading the captains in a panic state. "Right now, the only man in this world who possesses that much reiatsu is none other than Yamamoto sotaichou. They are not a threat yet, but if provoked, we're unsure the consequence."

Shinji scratched his head in frustration. "Nonetheless, it doesn't mean we should ignore those two and allow them to walk Earth casually. I suggest sending somebody to investigate this problem."

"Then it shall be done. Shihouin Yoruichi, captain of the second division. You're hereby appointed in this mission with your lieutenant to the world of the living and find out their intention. Do not attack, provoke or intercept their plans. Only one who has reiatsu twice the amount of a captain-level shinigami can fight one who has that much reiatsu. In this court, only I'm qualified to battle that entity, unfortunately. Once the intention is cleared, report back as soon as possible! Meeting adjourn!"

Yoruichi bowed in acceptance before walking to her squad barracks, preparing for her next vehement mission.

* * *

**Omake: Yoruichi and her sprinting adventures!  
**

Anko and Yugao were panting anxiously. They were the village's elites, the nightmare of their enemies and the supreme authority enforcers of Konoha, yet they were beaten in a childish game of... tag!

_"Unbelievable, she totally kicks our asses! Son of a bitch!" _Anko wiped off the sweats from her forehead, still desperately trying to ease her exhaustion.

_"Son of a bitch! She totally kicks our asses! This is blasphemy!" _Yugao collapsed onto the ground.

Yoruichi, on the other hand, was beaming in joy. "Yay! So, do the two of you admit your inferiority and accept your sweet defeat? Am I not the greatest purple-head in this village?"

"H-How... d-did you outrun u-us, Yoru... ichi-sama!" Anko queried as she hadn't recovered.

"Yeah... you just d-disappear! L-Like a flash!" Yugao tilted her head with sparkles of admirations in her eyes.

"That is for me to know and for you to never find out." Yoruichi laughed manically. In the midst of her shining glory, she accidentally woke up her neighbours. The Hyugas weren't happy the next morning and the Uchihas had recurring nightmares of a female demon, which had glistening violet hair and a pair of evil sunglow eyes, wrecking havoc in Konoha.

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YES! The world is in deep shit now.

Stay tune to the next episode: Yoruichi vs Yoruichi: It's like world destruction.

I hope you guys enjoy it.

My exam is over so I did have enough time to finish this.

Wish me luck in getting decent grades for my courses, pretty please!

I do hope you enjoy the omake. I will make more if it is a success.

Please review!

Peace out!


	12. A Little Death Match

Hey, I'm back again! To those who assume that 'Uchihas' mean that the massacre hasn't started, you're wrong! Uchihas = Sasuke, Itachi and maybe Madara. Gotcha! Only one person pointed out that hidden motive in my Omake. That person, regardless male or female, is rewarded a kiss from Yoruichi... and a punch from Naruto.

* * *

~ A Little Death Match ~

Naruto ran aimlessly in a zone of misty fogs. He couldn't see where he was going or perceiving his designated destination, but he continued to ran. It was as if a drive, an eerie voice commanding his limbs to move forward. Eventually, he reached to a stop and was petrified to see Yoruichi lying on the ground in a puddle of her own blood.

"Y-Yo-chan!" The blonde darted to his wife's side and held her icy hand. "Who did this to you! Tell me, Yo-chan!"

"...N-Naruto-kun? Is... is that you?" Yoruichi raised a weak hand, attempting to touch her husband's face. Comprehending his wife's desire, Naruto reached out to her and brought her shivering palm resting on his warm cheek. "I'm here, Yo-chan. Just stay with me. I'm gonna get Baa-chan here to save you. Just hang on."

"D-Don't... bother." Gritting her teeth to suppress her agony, the Shihouin empress smiled frailly at her beloved husband. "...I don't... have much time. Naruto-kun... listen to me... please."

Tears cascaded uncontrollably down through the curvature of his face as Naruto kissed her fingers in despair. "What is it?"

"I love you... even when I...I know you... killed my father. I... just couldn't... bring myself t-to... hate you. If... I get to reborn to a next life... I guess... I will still fall in love with you over... and over... again." Yoruichi felt her exhausted body succumbing to the darkness, her strength depleted and her vision blurred. "This... is the end."

"No! This is not the end! Don't say such things!" Naruto's grip tightened as he choked in his sob. "Don't sleep, Yo-chan! Listen to me! Listen to me, Yo-chan! I'm going to be here with you forever. We... we're going to have children! Two children at least! We're going to have a happy life! Remember out wedding vows! I promise you that I will stay by your side, protect you, love you and pamper you. You can't die, Yo-chan! P-Please, don't leave me alone."

At that tragic moment, a nefarious presence intruded and spoke with a dispassionate voice. "You should have seen that coming, Naruto-san. All that could have been avoided if you chose to join me right from the start."

Naruto twirled around, only to see a silhouette of a tall man who had dark hair slicked to the back and a bloodied Zanpakuto in his hand. "Goodbye, Naruto-san."

The mysterious intruder raised his blade, and brought it down.

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"No!" Arashi jolted up from his sleep as he panted anxiously. Studying his sweaty hands and then to her wife sleeping beside him, the blonde sighed in relief. "So... it's a dream, huh?"

Yoruichi, disturbed by her husband's abrupt roar, sat up groggily and rubbed a sleepy eye. "What's wrong, baby?"

"J-Just a nightmare. Nothing much."

Noticing the blonde's haunted eyes, the Shihouin empress frowned in solicitude. "You can tell me. Is there something troubling you?"

"No... It's alright. Nothing biggie, really." Arashi gently laid his wife down on the bed and embraced her warm body. "I love you."

"I...I love you too." Yoruichi watched as her husband closed his eyes and fallen to dreamland, a visage of poignant sadness displayed across his comely features. "Sometimes, I really think that you're hiding many things from me. Why won't you share them with me?"

Her whisper was drifted away from the night breeze through the window.

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Yoruichi opened her eyes lethargically, and was surprised to see Arashi's warm sapphire eyes gazing at her passionately. "Morning, honey."

"Morning." The Shihouin empress yawned as she rubbed a lazy eye. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing. I just find you cute whenever you wake up from your sleep." The blonde teased.

"Really?" Yoruichi's eyes glint the mixture of mischief and lust. "So... wanna do something before we get out of bed?"

"Do something? I wonder..." Arashi chuckled lightly before kissing his wife's moist lips and gradually, their tongues were dancing for dominance. The blonde's hand slid passed Yoruichi's night gown and fondled her soft breast. The Shihouin queen moaned ecstatically as she grinded her hips against her husband's. "I-I can't wait any longer... Naruto-kun! Take me!"

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Anko and Yugao were requested to stay in the Namikaze manor since their duty was to protect the authoritarians of the prestigious clan. How else could they protect efficiently if they live separately? So, Yoruichi's solution was to have her new bodyguards to stay within the compound. Besides, the extravagant complex had more than enough rooms to school a diminutive army.

When they were strolling through the hallway, they heard a feminine moan emitted from their master's bedroom. Immediately, they armed themselves and took silent steps towards the destination. "...ruto...Na...to...kun...ruto... aster... fas..."

Yugao gulped and whispered. "Anko-chan, I think we shouldn't go there."

Anko smirked vivaciously. "Why not? We have to make sure Yoruichi-sama and Arashi-sama are safe, right?"

When they were before the bedroom door, the exotic moans were audible. "Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun! Faster!"

Anko and Yugao's eyebrows arched. "Naruto? Who's Naruto? It sounds familiar though."

The pair knew they shouldn't open the door, but coincidentally, the door wasn't closed completely and there was a visible gap. Anko contemplated; if they let this opportunity slipped, she might loss the chance to see something that would change her life forever. Yugao didn't ponder; she knew it was forbidden to invade other people's privacy. But...

Anko and Yugao decided to embrace the dreadful sins and peaked. Their eyes widened in tremendous magnitude; it was Icha Icha live.

Yoruichi was naked, exposing her pulchritudinous features, her erotic frame and smooth tan skin covered in a thin layer of sweats, her enchanting sunglow eyes, her alluring pink lips, her perfect shaped jiggling ample bosoms and her glistening swaying violet hair. Moaning sultrily at her lover's name, the Shihouin empress was straddling and bouncing on her husband's hip. Anko and Yugao had to admit, Yoruichi's incomparable natural beauty was akin to a Goddess.

The female bodyguards eyed Arashi's comely expression, wild golden locks and his toned body. The blonde wasn't bulky, but slim and desirous to any women's standard. The patriarch of the Namikaze clan was burying his face into Yoruichi's breasts, massaging her breasts while licking her erected nipple.

"Anko..." Yugao hissed." Let's go! We shouldn't watch like this is some free porn show or something!"

"No!" Anko turned her attention to her partner sharply. "Don't you get it? This is great blackmail material!"

By the time the two female bodyguards shifted their sights back to the romantic love making scene, a few pillows flew towards them and knocked them out.

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Breakfast was perturbing. Arashi and Yoruichi had been glancing at each other affectionately, which somewhat intrigued Anko and Yugao, especially when their dishes were based on onion rings and sausages. When breakfast was finished, Arashi volunteered to clean the dishes, much to Anko and Yugao's surprises.

Sipping casually on her glass of milk, Yoruichi sighed blissfully. "Milk is the best!"

"Um... Y-Yoruichi-sama?" Yugao asked timidly.

"Hmm?"

"Who's Naruto?"

Yoruichi coughed in a vehement frenzy. "W-What?"

"Who's Naruto?" Anko repeated her partner's question.

"What are you talking about?" The Shihouin empress masked panic with a calm composure.

"N-Nothing." Yugao diverted her nervous eyes, studying attentively at the dining table.

"So, why do you like orange so much, Yoruichi-sama?" Yoruichi arched a brow at Anko's question. "I mean, you're wearing an orange sweater and black pants. I couldn't help but notice what you're wearing is oddly similar to Arashi-sama's liking."

"Well, we both love the colour orange! It is a great colour! Who wouldn't like orange?" Yoruichi drank her milk fervently.

"But, wouldn't that make you a walking target? I mean, orange is a bright colour and it attracts attention." Yugao asked sceptically.

"Yeah, so?" Yoruichi stood up, stretched herself felinely and skipped towards the kitchen. "It's not like anybody can catch me anyway. Well, maybe my Naruto-kun can."

Anko and Yugao gawked. _"Arashi-sama must be hell fast to be able to catch Yoruichi-sama. I don't think anybody in the ANBU unit can even hope to even see Yoruichi-sama when she runs. Who exactly are they anyway?"_

Disrupting their musing, Arashi mysteriously appeared behind their backs and tapped on their shoulders. "I will be meeting the old fart. Until then, take care of Yo-chan for me. Oh... uh... by the way. My wife gets bored easily and loves to play. So, if you wish to keep her company, prepare to start making pranks on people. Good day."

Having said that, the patriarch of the Namikaze clan dissipated into a golden flash and left two astounded kunoichis gaping at the vacant spot. Anko turned her attention to Yugao and deadpanned. "That is so not Shunshin. How did he do that? There is no smoke as aftermath or stupid swirling leaves."

"Well, perhaps it might be the long lost Kaze Shunshin."

"Wind flicker?" Anko arched a brow.

"Yeah. That explains-"

"Who wants to play mud bomb?" Yoruichi emerged from the kitchen with a metal bowl on her head, a frying pan on one hand and a plastic bag filled with soil at the other.

Anko and Yugao sweat dropped.

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Arashi and his younger counterpart, Naruto, were standing before the Sandaime Hokage, along with a few ninjas who were cringing under the blonde shinigami's patronising glare. Perceiving the intensified ambience within the room, Sarutobi sighed. "As you have all known, in three days time, there will be a challenge at the venue of the battle stadium arena. There, the top ninjas of Konoha shall battle the clan head of the Namikaze clan in order to determine the strength of the clan members."

Kakashi shut his book closed; he had eyed Arashi suspiciously. The patriarch of the Namikaze clan bore awfully similar appearance as the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. "So, we're going to battle you? Arashi-sama?"

"No." Arashi's answer startled several ninjas.

Asuma frowned. "Then if you're not the clan head, who else is?"

"I did not say that I'm not the clan head. I consider my wife as the clan head as well." Arashi spoke stoically. "In another words, my wife will fight the challengers. I have upmost confidence of Yo-chan's strength."

"Anyway!" Sarutobi disrupted the conversation. "Now, Arashi-dono, please meet Maito Gai, the hand to hand specialist in Konoha."

The patriarch smirked. "Specialist in hand to hand combat, huh? Interesting. My wife happens to be the best at that."

"Yosh! Your wife's flame of youth burns BRIGHTLY! It will be an honour challenging the flames of youth at the calibre of your wife, Arashi-sama!" Gai quirked his trademark posture with a thumb up and a sparkling white teeth grinning for the world to see.

"Very well, I'll be sure that Yo-chan's flame of youth burn so bright, you will be blinded by it." Arashi chuckled and everybody, except Gai, slapped themselves mentally.

"YOSH!"

Sarutobi coughed awkwardly. "So, the next contestant is Yuhi Kurenai. She is a Genjutsu specialist."

"Illusion, huh?" Arashi examined Kurenai, who was uncomfortably silent at the blonde's scrutinising glance.

"Hatake Kakashi is a specialist in Ninjutsu. I'm sure he is strong enough to fight Yoruichi-dono equally."

Sarutobi's statement irked Arashi deeply. "Equally? You think this man who reads porn as a hobby can best Yo-chan? How insulting. You know something, old fart? Your incorrigible stupidity never cease to amaze me."

The aged Hokage swallowed the nervous lump in his throat.

Kakashi frowned. "You shouldn't judge those you don't know."

"I'm not judging. I'm just making a statement here. This is a democratic country, right?" Arashi chuckled darkly. "You will understand when you fight Yo-chan. I will be dying to watch your match, Kakashi-san."

The Cyclops clenched his fists, desperately suppressing his untamed rage.

"The next challenger is my son, Sarutobi Asuma. He is a weapon specialist." Asuma bowed.

"Interesting." Arashi retained a dispassionate facade and picked up Naruto's luggage. "Now that everybody is here and we've introduced ourselves, I guess I'll be going off. I have already given you the necessary paperwork to let Naruto inherits what's rightfully his. After all, we're just temporary guests. Come, Naruto, Yo-chan is waiting for your arrival. I'm sure you will love to see her."

"Yeah! She's cool and beautiful." Naruto chirped.

Arashi simply chuckled. "If I don't know you better, I'll say you're hitting on her."

"Hitting on her?" The young blonde arched a brow. "I'm not hitting on her."

"You'll understand the implication someday. Let's go."

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"Hey! You're me, right? So, you must be very cool, right? If you're cool, that means I'm cool right? Yoruichi-san is cool! If your wife is cool, that means my wife is going to be cool, right? Huh? Yeah!" Naruto blurted out everything in one breath. Arashi sweat dropped and laughed sheepishly. _"Was I like that when I was young? I think I'm going to give Jiji and Baa-chan a big hug when I get back to my world for messing with them all these years. That is if I can get back to my world."_

Inevitably, the blonde shinigami spotted a few vicious glares directed at his younger counterpart and snarled. "What are you looking at?"

"He's a demon! You shouldn't be with him, young man!"

"Oh, really?" Naruto quavered at the villagers' look of contempt. The younger blonde shifted an uneasy look at Arashi, afraid that he would abandon him. "Well, from my point of view, he is just a kid. But, I'm not sure if I'm a demon or not. I mean I would love killing all of you right now and give you a one way trip to hell. What do you say? Wanna see hell and real demons with your own eyes?"

The villagers jolted in fright at the murderous bloodlust and ran away, mumbling 'demon lover' all their way through.

"I'll kill all of them one day." Arashi hissed venomously.

"Y-You're not gonna..." Naruto couldn't finish his sentence.

The blonde shinigami patted his younger counterpart. "Don't be stupid. I'm not going to abandon you. But, someday I will leave you. That is reality and you need to face it with courage. And I cannot protect you all the time. You must grow strong and protect not only yourself, but those you love. I know you can. After all, you're me, right?"

Naruto smiled a genuine smile and nodded. "Say, can we stop by Ichiraku?"

"Ichiraku?" Arashi arched a confused brow.

"It is a ramen shop and it sells great ramen! I always eat there!" Naruto beamed.

"Alright, lead the way. Ramen is Yo-chan's favourite as well. But she loves milk and fish more than that. Do they have salmon or tuna ramen?" The blonde shinigami queried as he tapped his chin.

"I'm not sure. Let's check it out!"

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"Finally! We're here, Soifon!" Yoruichi.S (The Yoruichi who belongs in the canon story) chortled in glee. "Hey! Stop brooding, Soifon! Cheer up! We're in this strange world, no paperwork and fighting guys who are up to something shady! It's totally awesome!"

Soifon sighed at her captain's enthusiasm. "Yoruichi-sama, our mission-"

"Stop being so uptight, Soifon! Now, let us find that imposter of mine and kick her butt!"

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Naruto and Arashi had made a hasty trip to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar, and the blonde shinigami was delighted beyond cognition of the wonders the stall sell. Since he couldn't decide which flavour would be his predominant favourite, and the Namikaze's weath was scaled in an immensely magnitude, he bought all fifteen different flavours. When they got home, Yoruichi typically picked the noodles that had relations to fish.

After lunch, Arashi and Yoruichi decided to test the strength of the young Naruto; Anko and Yugao were watching with concealed fascination at the Namikaze's matriarch and patriarch's training methods.

"First and for most, kid, get rid of that jumpsuit. I know why you're wearing it but you need the standardised attire for a ninja." Arashi reprimanded.

"But, orange is the best colour!" Naruto whined. "You... You... what's the word?"

"Hypocrite?" The blonde shinigami interjected.

"Y-Yeah! You're a hypo... whatever it is! You wear orange as well! Yoru-nee wears orange as well! Why can't I wear orange! It's unfair and-"

"Naruto." Arashi's tone was laced with supreme authority and a promising strict regiment was bound to happen. "If you want to be stronger, you listen to people's advices. You make judgement, not by personal and bias perceptions, but logical attitude towards your career. If you want to survive in the battlefield, you listen to veterans of war and work out yourself your own principles. And luckily for you, Yo-chan and I are more than just veterans."

"To sum it all up for what Na- uh... Arashi-kun has just said is that we're just too awesome!" Yoruichi beamed cheerfully.

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Yoru-nee is so awesome at explaining stuff! Arashi-nii, you suck at explaining things!"

Arashi gritted his teeth in frustration. _"Am I THIS annoying when I'm at his age? God, I'm going to apologise to Jiji, Baa-chan, Ukitake-sensei and Ero-sensei when I meet them back again!"_

Yoruichi giggled. "Heard that? In your face, Arashi-kun! I'm awesome!"

Anko and Yugao were suppressing their urge to laugh at their mistress's antics and how the patriarch was tolerating the nonsensical insults. "Whatever! The point is you cannot wear that jumpsuit anymore. You need to wear the proper gear."

"B-But... the shopkeepers charge me too high for other clothes. This is the best I got." Naruto sighed depressively.

Arashi deadpanned. "How much they charge you for a plain black t-shirt?"

"F-Fourteen thousand ryo... I think."

Everybody's eyes widened to the extreme. Arashi crossed his arm and shook his head. "Remind me to head down to the old fart's office and give me a killing warrant. Better yet, we skip the warrant part and get straight to some bloody killing. My hand is a bit itchy today."

"Yeah, I can absolutely see where you're coming from. In fact, it sounds so good, I'm tagging along with you, baby." Yoruichi purred at her lover. "And after the genocide, you and I need to have a long solacing time... alone."

Arashi snaked his firm hands around his wife's waist and pulled her gently into a loving embrace. "Shall I massage you first?"

"Umm... you're so sweet-"

Naruto coughed impatiently. "I don't know what's going on, but I want to train... so..."

The Yamamoto heir and the Shihouin empress regained their mentality and fixated focus on the issue at hand. "Yes, as we're saying, Yo-chan, do you mind explaining to the kid... since you're so awesome and I'm not."

Yoruichi giggled triumphantly at her husband's mock sulk. "Girl power! Anyway, I'm a professional assassin. I have killed more than you have eaten the number of bowls of ramen in your life! That's why-"

"If you don't want enemies to fuck you up, do as we said." Arashi smiled brightly, only to earn a slap at his head. "Oww... what's that for, Yo-chan?"

"That's for your vulgarity and interrupting me when I'm talking!" The blonde shinigami pouted and the Shihouin empress pinched her husband's nose. "Aww... don't be sad. Me will give you some Yoruichi-lovin' when we're done here."

"What's the meaning of fuck?"

"Ignore that, Naru-chan." Yoruichi smiled awfully sweet. "You don't want to learn what that mean, okay?"

The younger blonde gulped in ferocious consternation and nodded. "But I still don't get it. Why can't I be awesome as you two?"

Arashi smirked. "If you're nearly invincible, you don't need to be afraid of ambush or being a walking target. Your enemy can't defeat you anyway. And overconfident is only appropriate when you're confident at your abilities. You lack the contextualised composition in terms of your background knowledge in the skills of hand to hand combat and swordplay. Since you have a poor background build, judging by your physique, it is safe to say that being a walking bullseye is definitely suicidal. Yo-chan and I are different, we don't just let people mess with us; we mess back hard. Until you're at our level, you just have to bite the bullet and go through the pain."

Yoruichi smiled motherly at the young Naruto. "And that's basically what life is. Sometimes you just have to do something that you have no liking to, but it contributes to a greater good in life. Endurance, tolerance and strive for the best with your hardest and eventually, the fruition of your effort will not be wasted."

The younger blonde nodded enthusiastically. "Okay!"

Abruptly, the entire earth vibrated by a pressurised force descended from heaven and slammed upon everybody tyrannically at present. Anko, Yugao and Naruto, except Arashi and Yoruichi, were literally pinned onto the ground and their mobility was oppressed drastically. Arashi scowled and whispered to his wife. "Great, your theory hits jackpot. Your twin sister from another dimension is here. How cumbersome."

"I will lure her away. If we fight here, it will level the entire village. The last thing we need is the entire Gotei 13 chasing our butts like obsessive beasts in heat." Within split seconds, Yoruichi vanished into a series of violet sonic afterimages. Momentarily, the repulsive force depleted and everybody, except a certain blonde shinigami, were gasping desperately for air.

"W-What the hell is that?" Anko was sweating and Yugao was panting in exasperation. The young Naruto required his bearings and stood up clumsily. "I thought somebody was smashing me with a building sandwich while being strangled to death!"

Arashi pondered for an excuse and finally thought of one. "Oh yes! The Earth just has its first orgasm. So, yeah!"

Anko and Yugao sweat dropped; it was the worst excuse in the history of mankind. However, the naive and innocent young blonde was gullible, but confused nevertheless. "What's orga...ger..zam?"

Arashi coughed vigorously and mentally slapped himself. "N-Nothing."

"Where's Yoru-nee?" Naruto queried.

"She went to buy you some clothes. So... back to topic. Kid, do you understand the Code of the Blade?"

Naruto raised a puzzled brow. "Never heard of it."

Arashi sighed, drew his zanpakuto stashed at his hip slightly and stared impassively at the cold steel of his blade. "The code dictates that true swordsman draws their sword for two primary reasons, but it still serves the same purpose. The first reason is to defend oneself. The second reason is to protect others. The purpose of both reasons is to kill their enemy. As long as the sword is drawn, blood must be shed. It is the strict code my grandfather, my wife, my friends, my apprentices, my subordinates and I follow. That is why Yo-chan doesn't use her blade often and relies solely on her fists."

The young blonde tilted his head to the side in confusion. "But why? Is it necessary to kill when we draw our sword?"

Diverting his stern glances at Naruto, Arashi frowned. "Yes. Unlike other weapons, the sword is used for only one reason; to slay those who stand in our path. You're a shinobi, kid. The shuriken and kunai you learn to utilise share the same concept as a sword. Though guilt taints your movements and clouds your thoughts, for the sake of your friends and country, you must fight. That is the strict conduct that all warriors have to follow, regardless the differences in our occupation."

"Is there no... other way?"

The blonde captain chuckled. "Don't be a shinobi. That's a way out. You don't need to see blood and you don't need to take away lives. Everything you do has a consequence. A price that you must pay, in our case, will be the mission to annihilate all of our enemies and the retributions that follow. That is something you must accept."

Laxly, Arashi threw a wooden sword at his younger counterpart who undexterously caught it. "Use this sword to practice cutting the trees over there."

Blinking dumbly, Naruto scratched his head and whined. "B-But, this sword can't cut a thing! Is wood! Not steel!"

Arashi sighed in defeat. Strolling towards a pile of wooden blades, he casually hoisted one of them with his foot and tossed it to the sky before seizing it with deadly grace. Switching his glances at a targeted tree, he closed his eyes as he readied a stance. Within split seconds, he swung his blade upwards and launched a wave of energy blast towards the tree, slicing the colossus tree into half. Arashi threw the wooden sword back to the pile and caught a glimpse of his younger counterpart staring at him with awe and admirations.

"Chakra is very similar to what I draw inwardly. Both are the fundamental force of life and both are used to fight. You have to learn to draw your chakra out from your inner self, and then channel it into your sword. As you swing the blade for a strike, you release them naturally. Don't be forceful; it will only disrupt the pace. If you can't learn the first step of drawing out your chakra efficiently, it will be pointless for me to teach you my style."

Naruto nodded. "Okay!"

"Then get practicing." Arashi turned his attention at the female bodyguards. "Oversee the kid's training. He needs to build a strong foundation. I'm counting on the two of you."

Anko and Yugao bowed. "Sure thing. Where are you going by the way?"

"A little peaceful walk at the park?"

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Yoruichi and Yoruichi.S were engaging in a vehement glaring contest at an isolated training ground, sequestered by the general populous. Their eerie silence frightened Soifon who felt an inner turmoil rampaging within her heart. She was confused that she wasn't aware that her goddess had a replica/twin sister. The two Yoruichi had the same effervescent vivacity, witty attributes and an elegant and confident smile.

However, Soifon knew that Yoruichi somewhat was stronger than her mistress.

"Who are you, imposter?" Yoruichi.S bellowed in irritation.

"I'm not an imposter."

The Shihoin heiress scoffed as her prideful captain haori danced along with the blowing breeze. "Oh yeah? Mind telling me why you have the same haircut, same eyes, same eyebrows, same nose sizes, same mouth, same chin, same boobs, same hips and same legs as mine? You copycat!"

The Shihouin queen took cognition of the pun and giggled. "Technically, if you're me, then we can transform to cats. So, you're a copycat as well!"

"No... my cat form is definitely gorgeous than yours."

"Really? Wanna prove your theory?" Yoruichi hissed.

Yoruichi.S stroked her chin as she evaluated the dire situation and sighed. "Fine. If you're me, prove it!"

The Shihouin queen smirked deviously and strolled towards her twin and whispered something in her ears. Soifon didn't hear what Yoruichi had said, but it definitely ramified into a series of girlish squeals, perverted giggles and inauspicious laughter from her mistress. "Holy sweet mother of Kami! How did you know _that? _Oh my Kami! You're really me from another dimension then?"

"Yes." Yoruichi offered a handshake. "I'm the 22nd matriarch of the Shihouin clan, Commander General of the Onmitsukido, Corps Commander of the Corrections Force, heiress of the Yamamoto clan and the Captain of the 2nd division, Yamamoto Uzumaki Shihouin Yoruichi. Pleasure to meet ya."

Yoruichi.S gaped comically at her twin. "Okay... I get the whole thingy about being leader of our clan and a captain but... what's with the Yamamoto clan? And why do you have the Yamamoto surname as your... No way! Oh gosh! No! NO!"

The Shihouin queen arched a confused brow. "Why do I have this feeling that I'm not going to like what you're going to say next?"

As anticipated, the Shihoin heiress yelled out indignantly. "DID OUR FATHER FORCE YOU TO MARRY SOTAICHOU-DONO! OH MY KAMI! YOU'RE FORCED TO MARRY SOMEONE YOU OBVIOUSLY DON'T LIKE AND HE'S LIKE 600-800 YEARS OLDER THAN YOU! OH NO! YOU'RE SUCH A POOR THING! No hard feelings but, I'm glad I'm not standing in your shoes right now."

"NO!" Yoruichi protested. "I am not married to ojii-sama. Eww! What the hell is wrong with you? He is my grandfather-in-law."

Soifon and the Shihoin heiress's eyes magnified to an excessive degree. "Uh... I hope my ears are clean... because... I think I heard something about Sotaichou-dono being your grandfather-in-law?"

"Yeah. I'm married to his grandson."

A whole range of hectic ideas jumbled up chaotically in Yoruichi.S's mind and suddenly, her head perked up with piqued interest. "Say, is his grandson an overly sick dude or something? Because in our world... Sotaichou-dono doesn't have a grandson."

"I'm adopted actually." Arashi's sudden presence jolted Soifon and Yoruichi.S in anxiety; they spun around and met a blonde, who had his hair spiked in a wild fashion, charming appearance, a dashing outlook along with a hooded orange jacket and blue jeans. "I'm Yo-chan's husband. The name is Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto. Let just say that if one day, Jiji gets bored with his job, I'm the next-in-line to become the new clan head of the Yamamoto clan and obviously takeover my grandfather's mantle as the next Sotaichou of the Gotei 13."

"Wow, you must be hell strong then?"

"Modestly, Jiji is still stronger than me. And by the way, my alias here in your dimension is Arashi. Arashi Namikaze." The blonde shinigami shifted sight at Soifon and smiled. "Soifon-chan in our world is totally the same as Soifon-chan in this world. How amusing. Totally devoted to Yo-chan and keep tabs of my wife's daily life basis."

"I'm not a stalker!" Soifon blurted out before desperately covering up her mouth; it was too late, the damage was done.

Arashi's smirk of imminent pain widened. "But I never said that you're a stalker. Unless, subconsciously, you're admitting it. You naughty little bumblebee! You must have kept nude photos of your master, huh?"

"N-No! I did not!" Soifon tried to hide her blush miserably.

"Right there! Ah! Your deceptions are exposed! You can't hide from me, Soifon-chan. After all, I used to train you in my world and judging by the characteristics of the Soifon-chan I know comparing with you, I can tell that you two have the same personality. Tell me, are you-" Arashi didn't finish his statement as Yoruichi had hit her husband's head with a miniature mallet that she had pulled out from nowhere.

"Stop teasing Soifon! She might not be my apprentice, but she is still my apprentice."

Arashi rubbed his comical wound and pouted. "That doesn't even make any sense at all."

Yoruichi.S studied the intruder curiously and smirked. "So... this hunk is your husband? I must say... this is a whole new mountain of weird."

Spookily, Yoruichi and her counterpart stared at each other for a while and abruptly turned their attention to Arashi with a devilish smirk adorning their features. "How about this, me and my counterpart from another dimension vs you. After all, if you're indeed married to my twin, which is indirectly me, then you must be strong enough to defend yourself... against the two of us. Right?"

Arashi chuckled nervously. "Sorry to break this to you but... dealing with Yo-chan in a brawl is madness, dealing with two cat fetish girls trying to crush me will be quite frustrating."

"Oh?" The Shihouin queen placed a hand on her hip and grinned like a Cheshire cat; Arashi knew he would regret his imminent decision but whatever his wife wanted, he could never deny it. "Fine. Just don't go too harsh on me."

Soifon felt sorry for Arashi; he might be the husband of the mistress she worshipped from another dimension but nobody, except the captain commander of the Soul Society, could outmatch two Yoruichi. There was just absolutely no way the Yamamoto heir would gain ultimate victory. The Shihouin queen looked at the Shihoin heiress and frowned seriously. "Don't underestimate my husband. I have only defeated him a few times in an all out match."

Yoruichi.S and Soifon's eye bulged out.

"You should believe her." Arashi stood behind the Shihoin heiress ghostly, jolting her in fright. "I don't know much about you, but Yo-chan is crowned as the Goddess of Flash in my dimension. Wanna know what's my nickname back in hometown?"

"Lemme guess." Yoruichi.S blinked seductively at her counterpart's husband. "Mr Wiggly Bunny?"

What truly annoyed the Shihoin heiress was the subtle grin tugging at Arashi's lips. "You'll see. So, what are the stakes and conditions?"

"Umm... you really know me, I see." Yoruichi.S winked at Yoruichi suggestively. "Oh well. If you win, you get to do anything you want with me."

"Yoruichi-sama!" Soifon bellowed in shock.

"However, if I win, I get to do anything to you, including living in whatever place you're living in now and treating you as my slave if I wish. The condition is simple. No Zanpakuto. That will only ramify to no using Shikai and no Bankai."

"No Shikai and No Bankai?" Arashi whined childishly. "Come on! I will be trashed... if you catch me off guard."

The initial thought of triumphing her counterpart's husband was debilitated when Arashi emphasised purposely on the conclusive part of his statement. Yoruichi, however, didn't hesitate and charged forward with an assaulting fist. Aware of his wife's attempted strike, Naruto sidestepped the attack and blocked the punch with the back of his fist. When the attack collided against Arashi's skin, a burst of wind blasted directly at Yoruichi.S.

"Yo-chan, very feisty today, aren't you?"

"I guess milk stimulates me." The Shihouin queen vanished into a static blur, leaving Arashi grinning at the Shihoin heiress before disappearing into a golden thunderbolt, his words echoing through the wind. "Stop standing, start fighting."

Before Yoruichi.S could even blink, five humongous blue flames charged dangerously towards the Shihoin heiress._ "Sokatsui? And five Sokatsui from five different spots with one single flash step within half a sec? That's not even possible! Even I can't do that."_

Without delaying any further Yoruichi.S casted a spell hastily. "Bakudo no. 81: Danku!"

The translucent wall surrounding its caster safeguarded Yoruichi.S and successful restrained against the devastating indigo flames. "This is unpredictable... I seriously underestimated that guy. Fascinating."

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Everybody in Konoha felt the ground shook monstrously. When they stared at the sky, they could only see a binding bright light and a deafening explosion occurring in the outskirt of the village. Kakashi was patrolling when he sensed an unforgiving pressure hit Konoha and many civilians fainted soon after.

The Cyclops had no choice but to investigate.

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Saying Soifon was amazed was an understatement; she was astonished beyond the normalcy of her circumscribed mind that she couldn't believe Arashi was able to block attacks from two Yoruichi without sustaining any injuries, yet. In fact, she couldn't even see clearly their trajectory; it was as if they were running at the speed of sound.

What Soifon could really perceive was the blare of battle cries and a series of explosions.

In reality, Arashi was in a quandary. Fighting his wife and her twin was no easy feat. No. Exploiting their weaknesses was beyond the difficulty of Spartan. "Cut me some slack! You two are gonna kill me!"

"Stop whining and start showing your manly man-ness!" Yoruichi.S screamed before descending upon her target with an assaulting kick.

Halting in his track, the Yamamoto heir tilted his head upwards and readied for a counterattack, only to have a fist buried into his gut. "Gotcha, Naruto-kun~"

Arashi soared away from Yoruichi while channelling his spirit energy into his feet. The blonde shinigami widened his eyes in shock when Yoruichi.S, noticeable by her captain outfit, was standing beside his flying frame. _"W-What? She calculates approximately where I will be flying away? Sheesh... she is indeed strong."_

Arashi braced himself as the Shihoin heiress brought a foot down on the Yamamoto heir's stomach mercilessly, demolishing a segment of the forest ground with a cataclysmic impact. The blonde groaned in pain as Yoruichi.S swiftly seized Arashi's collar and unleashed a series of barraging punches at Arashi's defenceless body.

"Come on! Defend yourself!" Yoruichi.S continued her rampage with gusto. "Fight bac-"

The Shihoin heiress was petrified when Arashi started laughing. "You're not even punching me properly. Here, let me show you what a true punch is."

Remorselessly, the Yamamoto heir slammed a fist onto Yoruichi.S's cheek, sending her crashing towards a colossus tree. Wrestling himself to a standing position, Arashi spun around and caught his wife's kick. "Now that I have dealt with her, you're next, Yo-chan."

"I don't think so." Yoruichi smirked when Yoruichi.S's hands coiled around Arashi's neck. "Heh, I'm disappointed. Really, I must say that your punch is strong, but you're awfully unguarded all the time."

The Shihoin heiress and Shihouin matriarch gasped in fear when the Yamamoto heir dispersed into air. The twin Yoruichi scanned their vicinity anxiously. "Oh no... Kaze Bushin. His favourite technique that he uses all the time to fight strangers. I think he is trying to speculate your strength before fighting seriously."

"You mean he wasn't serious from the start?"

"That's most likely it." The true Arashi was standing a few metres away from the squad two captains. "I must say, although you have Yo-chan's look, your strength still isn't at the level of my wife. Why?"

"What are you talking about?" Yoruichi.S hissed angrily.

"Just stating facts. Still, I'm really scared if you two are serious in fighting me." Arashi chortled buoyantly. "Can we call it a day?"

Yoruichi looked at Yoruichi.S and turned back their attention to Arashi with a smirk on their lips. "Shunko!"

The Yamamoto heired stormed his feet and pouted. "Not fair!"

"We agreed no Zanpakuto. Never said anything about not using Shunko." The Shihoin heiress and Shihouin empress, encircled by a stream of violent wind, launched a tidal wave of sheer electrified energy towards the unprepared Arashi. "Geez, you two are dead serious at killing me."

A glint of solemn and determination shined in the blonde's sapphire eyes before he ripped the gargantuan blast into harmless half with his bare hands. Yoruichi.S snarled at Arashi's enigmatic skills and zapped forward, much to Yoruichi's dismay. "Stop! A frontal attack is what he is forcing you to do!"

The Yamamoto heir blocked the incoming deadly punches with relatively eases until Yoruichi.S manifested behind Arashi and delivers a roundhouse kick, sending the blonde pummelling into rocks. The Shihouin matriarch jumped towards the sky and nosedived towards her husband. As anticipated, a few lightning bolts blitz thunderously at Yoruichi and Yoruichi.S.

The two women vanished to avoid to the hado spells and reappeared behind a tree located a few miles away from the puzzled Arashi. "Hey! Where did the two of you go? Hello!"

Yoruichi panted tediously and blew the distracting purple bangs away from her face. "Damn it. He hasn't been fighting for years and he isn't even rusty for a bit."

"I think this is a good time to spare me the details. Who the hell is him?" Yoruichi.S asked in annoyance.

"Well, let say he masters Bankai within 50 years and become a captain soon after." The Shihouin empress laughed sheepishly.

"Whoa! You should have told me that!"

"You shouldn't challenge him in the first place!"

Arashi strolled towards the tree the women were discussing at and sighed. "If you two wish to whisper, don't you think it is pretty loud?"

Yoruichi.S and Yoruichi bounced in shock before they murmured silently. "Ah fuck..."

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Kakashi landed on a random tree at the site of the commotion. Unanticipated at the scene before him, a petite Chinese woman, wearing a black stealth outfit, was staring fearfully at Arashi who was walking towards the tree.

He took a seat on the tree bark and remained a peripheral vision at the scenario.

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Acting on adroit instincts, Arashi jumped away from the clearing before a few raging crimson flames erupted from his former vacated spot. The blonde chuckled as he landed on another side of the training ground. "I must say... the two of you are really dang-"

The Yamamoto heir was interrupted as he caught two fists from left and right. "Whoa! Didn't see that-"

The pair was acting as if they could synchronise each other's thoughts before launching a kick to the blonde's waist. Somewhat, Arashi predicted the attack and manoeuvre to the point where he could dodge both kicks by moving his body slightly. Evasively, the Shihouin matriarch and the Shihoin heiress retreated a few metres away.

"Naruto-kun, let see if you can defend yourself from both sides." Instantly, Yoruichi and Yoruichi.S threw an onslaught of countless shurikens at their epicentre target. In the naked eyes of average civilians, they could only see vaguely of a volley of black statics hailing towards Arashi dangerously. In the naked eyes of a trained warrior, the scene would be replaced by a clearer view of a stream of shurikens discharging rapidly at the blonde shinigami.

Their hands were professionally trained, evidently from their inhumane throwing techniques. Arashi was sweating as he remained fixated at his spot while dodging the offending weapons, and at the same time, cuts were inflicted on his body in the process. The blonde noticed the shurikens coming from the right slid past the shurikens coming from the left; Yoruichi was throwing her weapons while catching Yoruichi.S's shurikens before firing them back, vice versa to Yoruchi.S.

Their flawless teamwork and formidable nimbleness, aptitude and supreme mastery of the dark arts of assassination were bewilderment to the bystanders. Unable to withstand the two Yoruichis' attacks, Arashi muttered as he directed his palms at his opponents. "Hado no. 31: Shakkaho."

The vermillion flames struck the Shihoin heiress and the Shihouin matriarch while the Yamamoto heir wiped the blood dripping from his cheek. When Arashi dropped his guard, Yoruichi and Yoruichi.S blitzed forward and impaled the blonde with a hidden dagger in their sleeves. The two feline women were grinning victoriously until reality hit Yoruichi.

She had just killed her husband.

Her eyes widened in horror as she felt the warm liquid in her hand. "N-Naruto-kun? W-Why?"

"Y-Yo-chan..." Crimson blood started flowing out from the edge of his lips. "I..."

"Naruto-kun! Why didn't you defend yourself? I thought you will-"

When the twins blinked, what was once Arashi was now a few shreds of cloth.

The blonde rematerialised at the far end of the clearing and hoisted a peace sign with his fingers. "Way of the Onmitsu, 3rd of the Shiho, Utsusemi."

Yoruichi.S was dumbfounded as she gawked at Arashi. "I can't believe it. He mastered our technique?"

Yoruichi was different; her temperamental emotions drifted from despair to surprise to relief and eventually to anger. She was simply angry that her husband was orchestrating an act that might haunt her for life. "N-Naruto-kun! You idiot! You're a dead man!"

"W-What did I do? Damn it! Way of the Onmitsu, 5th of the Shiho, Kaze Bushin." As the command was articulated, twenty clones animated beside their master. "Way of the Onmitsu, 7th of the Shiho, Shi no Rensa."

The clones vanished into torrents of umbrage wind before encircling the two women in an impenetrable formation; the Shihoin heiress and the Shihouin matriarch could only perceive Arashi's clones running around them. "You two wanna play speed, I'm up for a game."

"W-What is this?" Yoruichi.S queried.

Yoruichi answered promptly. "This is a technique my husband develops. Nobody has ever been able to pass through it by sheer speed alone. Once he uses this movement, we're trapped in here. Only a powerful attack can leave an opening for us to escape. The time duration is 0.54 seconds before another clone substitutes and repairs the formation again."

"That is not enough time for the both of us to escape! Let's power up our Shunko and blast out way out!"

"It's not that simple!" Yoruichi gritted her teeth in frustration. "My husband has a seemingly limitless amount of spirit energy that doesn't quench easily. He can duplicate another hundred clones if he wants and replace those clones that are eradicated. The more clones he adds into the formation, the harder it will be for us to escape. Think of it as an immortal hydra. The radius between us to the escape route is, though short, will be a pain in the ass if we fail to bypass it."

"What happen if we fail to bypass the formation?" Yoruichi.S asked in curiosity.

"Well, it will hurt. You see, the clones, though are separate entities from my husband, they are capable of strategic thoughts. They are just as intelligent as their master and just as powerful as my husband. The only flaw is that they are unable to use their Zanpakuto's ability to the fullest and incapable of performing Shikai or Bankai. Also, they can't use Kido. So, they are only capable of utilising Zanjutsu, Hakuda and Hoho."

"Heh! I'm not Shunshin Yoruichi for nothing! Leave it to me!"

"And he isn't Kirafurasshu for nothing as well."

"Kirafurasshu? Killer Flash? What kind of name is that?" Yoruichi.S retorted.

"Exactly as his title means. During the rebellion era, my husband earned the title as Kirafurasshu for his bravery and tenacity in the battlefield. He is feared throughout the Soul Society for his flee-on-sight warning. The reason why he is called the Kirafurasshu is because of his perfect execution of the Hoho, Hakuda and Zanjutsu collaboratively where he can incapacitate a horde of enemies silently like a cold-blooded killer. Hence, Killer Flash."

"Wow, interesting summary you got that. Now, save me the crap and tell me how to get out of here!"

Yoruichi deactivated her Shunko, the white aura surrounding her dissipated as she calmed herself by closing her eyes. "This is just a theory. I have never tried this out before. This technique that my husband and I mastered together is what makes us the Romeo and Juliet in Soul Society. The ultimate Shunpo technique, Way of the Onmitsu, 13th of the Shiho, Boido Yugami."

The air was gradually absorbed into Yoruichi's slender frame and within milliseconds, the Shihouin matriarch disappeared, even Yoruichi.S didn't sense her twin's next allocated destination.

Momentarily, the clones encompassing Yoruichi.S dissolved into a series of miniature whirlwinds. When the Shihoin heiress regained her bearings, Yoruichi had her knife placed on her husband's neck. Arashi blinked dumbly when his eccentric wife whispered to him. "Do you yield, Naruto-kun?"

"Yo-chan? You used that technique, huh?" The blonde shinigami frowned as he gently grabbed his wife's wrist and turned his attention to her. "I told you, didn't I? That movement is taxing to the body. This is just training; you don't need to use it. You got me worry."

It was then Yoruichi noticed she was sweating furiously and her breaths were exasperating. "I guess in the heat of battle, I just want to win."

"What are you talking about? You always win." The Shihouin queen rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

The blonde's hand radiated a serene green as he replenished his wife's energy. Yoruichi.S was astounded at her counterpart's husband's display of skills, albeit inadvertently. "What just happen? How did the so called impenetrable formation breaks?"

"Boido Yugami, aka Void Distortion, is a technique my wife discovers during our training times back in the past." Naruto scowled as he wrapped his hands around his wife's waist and explained. "It is the most advanced Shunpo technique that requires profound focus and an expertise in the field of Hoho. It allows the user to travel so fast it is as if the individual stops time contemporarily. Boido Yugami has three phases. The initial phase, the progressing phase and the end phase. However, it has a nasty drawback. It drains a hell load of spirit energy."

"During the progressing phase, I simply assault the clones as fast as I could before escaping the formation." Yoruichi smiled.

"Wow, how complicated. I haven't even created any techniques above 8th of the Shiho. You two are really a pair. I'm jealous." Yoruichi.S placed a hand on her hips and grinned.

"Now that our little training is done, I assume you and Soifon-chan standing over there are gonna stay here for a while to inspect us, huh?" Arashi asked as he scratched his jaw.

Yoruichi.S simply shrugged. "Yeah, how do ya' know?"

"I know Jiji more than you think. His orders were always so cliché. We'll let you stay in our manor. But we need to come up a name for you."

"WHY? I like my name, thank you!" The Shihoin heiress crossed her arms childishly.

Yoruichi narrowed her eyes. "You are me, aren't you? Surely you understand that the people here are aware of my identity as Yoruichi. If you tell people that you're Yoruichi as well, it will be problematic and confusing."

Yoruichi.S stroked her chin and sighed in defeat. "Fine! Give me a list of names to choose."

"Okay!" Arashi beamed. "How about... er... Muchiko? Machiko? Tachiko? Tuchiko? Luciko? Yoichi?"

"Why is the last name so different from the rest?" Yoruichi.S yelled.

"Well, I have thought of a story for the both of you. My wife and I came to restore the pride of the Namikaze clan and my sister-in-law comes to visit. Since you are clearly gonna be Yo-chan's twin, then I guess Yoichi will differentiate the two of you."

"That means you're the younger twin sister." Yoruichi concluded with a cheerful smile.

"Why am I the youngest? I want to be the older twin sister!" Yoruichi.S whined.

"Nuh uh! I am stronger than you therefore I am the oldest! Besides, you have a shorter fake name."

"Fine! Be the old hag! I don't give a rat ass about it!"

The environment's temperature dropped dramatically. "Why did you just call me?"

"Old hag!"

"Fish puke!"

Arashi chuckled nervously. "Hey... calm down?"

"Old sag!"

"Fish shit!"

"Old bat!"

"Fish eggs!"

"Old- How is fish eggs an insult?" Yoruichi.S's eyes twitched ferociously.

"... Big butt!"

"Oh? Technically, I'm you. My butt is your butt. So my big butt is your big butt! Hah! I win!" The Shihoin heiress made a victory dance.

Arashi had to resort in holding his wife's shoulder firmly before she lashed out. "I'LL KILL YOU! STUPID SISTER!"

Yoruichi.S only added fuel into fire as she stuck out her tongue at her twin.

"Stop it! Both of you! Just get the business done here! Yoichi or Horny-Gurl? Choose one!" The blonde glared at her wife's counterpart.

"I'll be Horny-Gurl then!" Yoruichi.S smiled.

"Yoichi it is." Arashi and Yoruichi finished the statement.

"Hey! I want to be Horny-Gurl!"

"This isn't democracy." The Yamamoto heir retorted impassively. "You're Yoichi Namikaze from now on."

"W-What about me?" Soifon stood meekly beside her mistress.

"Simple!" Yoruichi.S giggled. "You'll be the youngest sister! You're now Soifon Namikaze. And if someone asks why you look so different from us, just tell them you take from your mother and we look like our father. Simple as that!"

"... Wow, I'm not surprise if she becomes an author in the future." Arashi said nonchalantly. "Let's leave. We'll bring you back to our place. We got quite a lot of things to update to the two of you."

"Okay! Lead the way!" The jubilant Shihoin heiress clung onto Yoruichi and skipped the way back.

However, Kakashi had a different opinion. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't hear what the group was discussing, but there was one thing he was sure. Yoruichi and her twin was definitely classified and ranked as Kage level or beyond. Arashi's prowess was way out of the league of any shinobi could comprehend.

He had to report his finding back to the Hokage immediately.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

Omake:

"So, who won?" Yoruichi asked as she scratched her hair.

"I think it is a draw." Arashi gulped the nervous lump in his throat.

"No! Technically, me and my counterpart won the battle! You are now our slaves!" Yoichi (to avoid confusion, I shall clarify that Yoruichi.S = Yoichi) smirked.

Yoruichi giggled. "Great! You're my official pet, Naruto-kun!"

"Nooooooo! This is madness!"

"Madness? This is AWESOME!" Yoichi laughed wickedly. "Hey, big sis, mind bringing me to the nearest S&M shop? I wanna go grab myself some leather, cream and whip."

"Sure." Yoruichi hooked her twin's hands and hopped happily towards their destination.

Suffice to say, Arashi's life was... disastrous.

XoXoXo

300 - You can never forget the iconic speech before the kick.

Well, Arashi has his reason to hate the Sandaime Hokage. I believe that Arashi thinks that Sarutobi should give his younger counterpart, Naruto, a better lifestyle. But he didn't. And as a leader, he has the rights to make it happen. After all, Naruto IS royalty. He is the Yondaime's SON! He deserves better.

Kaze Shunshin : Wind Flicker  
Kaze Bushin : Wind Clone  
Shi no Rensa: Cycle of Death  
Boido Yagami: Void Distortion

Please review!


	13. How to Create a Monster

Reply to reviewer  
Fritter: Sorry for not *progressing* since last chapter but I have to break this to you, dude, whether you like it or not, it WILL be there. It is for the sake for making sure the next chapter can come along nicely. This arc is very important and you will understand soon. Naruto/Arashi needs to realise his destiny! And his relationship with Yoruichi will be strained... soon.

TheDon1023: The nightmares are there for a reason. It is like a warning to him and constantly reminding him that his destiny may be very sinister in the future.

Stormrune: There is a reason why when Arashi and Yoruchi steps into the world of the living, people can see them or even touch them. I will explain more soon. Have patience.

Someone said that why didn't Arashi, Yoruichi, Yoichi and Soifon notice Kakashi hiding in the bush. Seriously, what's the point of dragging him out of the tree? That will only make the entire situation worst. The Sandaime will become paranoid and send more powerful ninjas to survey them.

Note: I am busy with my school work and besides, I try to contact any beta-readers but nobody is interested in helping me.

* * *

**~ Chapter 13: How to create a monster ~  
**

Arashi had arranged rooms for his guests. To say young Naruto was delighted to see Yoichi and Soifon was a mere understatement; the younger blonde literally bounced around the manor ecstatically, as if a kid on an overdose of sugar. Yoruichi decided to chat with her twin quietly and took her out for a walk.

Yoichi draped a hand over her elder sister's shoulder. "So, me, how is life with pretty boy?"

Yoruichi giggled. "It is great; I should tell you some adventures he has with me back in our childhood. We used to hop to the Shiba's mansion and cut off their water supply and jammed their toilet pipes with glued marbles. Kukaku tried to murder the both of us the following day."

"Holy crap! You did that! Father always forces curfew on me. Never have any much fun." The Shihoin heiress pouted. "So... how's father? Is he alright? Still ordering you around like a general? Pouring his 'tough love' on you?"

Upon hearing the question, the Shihouin matriarch diverted her sunglow eyes. "He was alright."

"...Was?"

"He died." Yoichi froze at her twin's answer. "W-What you mean father died? What happened?"

"Things got complicated." Yoruichi sat on the swing in the park, her twin sister situated beside her. "Well, I'm all ears."

The Shihouin empress hesitated slightly. "What happen to father in your world?"

"He retired. Figure that he should go on to a long term vacation with mom for a couple of decades and left me a mess." Yoichi chirped, but was concerned when Yoruichi's eyes stared depressively at the distant sky. "I'm you, sis, something is bothering you. And when you're emo, I know. How did dad die in your world?"

"... I guess your dad and my dad are two different people. He... He... forced me to marry little Byakuya."

An awkward silence intruded before Yoichi screamed in disgust. "EWW! Me? ME! Marry that brat? No freaking WAY!"

The Shihoin heiress stared through Yoruichi's sunglow eyes as hers and gasped. "Holy shit. You ARE telling the truth. What happen next?"

Wallowing through reminiscence, the Shihouin queen giggled. "My husband comes in and sweeps me off the feet. Bash through the wedding chapel and try to save me."

"Ah! It's always fun playing the damsel in distress." Yoichi guffawed at her joke and then halted her laughter abruptly before switching astonished gazes at her counterpart. "Are you SERIOUS? B-But why? Why will dad do this to you?"

"Alliance. The Shihouin and the Kuchiki have always been in bad terms. My marriage was supposedly tied with the political alliance. Now, it becomes the irony. I married to the next Yamamoto clan head. In the past, the Yamamoto, Kuchiki and Shihouin always have a petty rivalry." Yoruichi grasped her twin's hands softly. "I love Naruto-kun. And it's because of this love, the Yamamoto clan and the Shihouin clan finally unites as one. And because little Byakuya is Naruto-kun's favourite student who he torments all day long, the Kuchiki clan joins in the alliance as well. Let's not forget Kukaku is my best friend. The Shiba clan is secured too."

"Whoa! Never know pretty boy is such a hotshot." Yoichi licked her lips impishly. "So... you never said how dad died in your world."

"I honestly don't know. I was told that he died in prison after serving life imprisonment." Yoruichi sighed as she stared at her feet calmly. "They never allowed me to see his corpse. And mother passed away soon after. You're lucky that both father and mother are still alive with you."

Yoichi smiled warmly at her sister. "But you're lucky that you have such a badass husband! Still... I find the death of your father very suspicious. Sounds like someone is trying to prevent the embellished truth to be the scandalised truth."

"Someone erases all traces of the evidences that lead to my father's case." Yoruichi exhaled a tired breath. "I wonder why."

"Alright! Enough of the angst! Let's talk about pretty boy. How do you meet him?" The Shihoin heiress asked cheerfully.

The Shihouin matriarch shrugged nonchalantly. "We met at the academy. First day in school, we bumped into each other and then it just happened. I just feel like I can open up my feelings to him and I know he will understand and appreciate me. And love me for who I am, not what I am."

"Well, the only classmate I remember is Kukaku. ...She's alive, right?"

"Of course! She's still boisterous and taking names. Last I heard, she's promoted as lieutenant for the Kido Corps."

"Kido Corps?" Yoichi arched a confused brow. "From my world, she's lieutenant for the 11th division. She's still governing the entire squad with an iron fist. Until a captain refill the vacant spot, she will be the leader for the 11th squad. I do feel sorry for her subordinates."

The twins laughed joyously, oblivious of the attraction they were gaining from the male populous of the village.

"But... nowadays... I feel Naruto-kun is hiding something from me. It's like he looks at me... and he just wants to tell me something. He's hiding whatever he is hiding desperately and purposely away from me. I don't know... I just..."

"Yoruichi, this is just awkward talking to myself but... you must have faith in Naruto." Yoichi smiled at her twin. "Believe in him. He loves you and whatever he is hiding from you... you just have to have patience for him."

"I... I'm scared, Yoichi. He has nightmares every night and every time he looks at me after his haunting, I can feel that he is afraid of losing me. Like something he knows will happen that..."

"Hey, sis, look at me." The Shihouin matriarch looked at her sister with pleading eyes. "Trust me, when the time is right, he will tell you."

"I... I really hope so." Yoichi quirked her trademark smiles at Yoruichi. "So, wanna bring me around to explore the new town?"

"I just arrived to this place. I have no idea where the main tourist attraction sites are."

The Shihoin heiress pouted. "If you don't know, who will?"

At that exact moment, someone walked towards the two women.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

"Even if Yoruichi-sama is not the Yoruichi-sama I serve, they are the same person nonetheless! You don't deserve her!" Soifon shrieked.

Arashi raised his hand in surrender. "Listen, Soifon-chan-"

"It's Soifon! Don't give me that suffix!"

"I'm sorry! Fon-chan, but I-"

"Soifon!"

"Yes, Soi-chan, as I was explaining, Yo-chan and I are married. There is nothing you can do to stop it." Arashi smiled warmly at the fuming petite girl before him. "So why don't you go to your room and take an afternoon nap or something? Hmm?"

"You are not my superior! I don't take orders from you!" Soifon yelled, scaring little Naruto in the process. Luckily, Anko and Yugao were reporting secretly to the Hokage and weren't aware of the disputation.

"This is my house and you're my acting sister-in-law and you will respect my authority!" The elder blonde raised his volume.

"And what if I don't? Huh? I'm not going to let you ruin Yoruichi-sama's life!"

"Okay! That's it! What did I ever do to ruin Yo-chan's life! Hmm? Enlighten me!"

"Simple! You're a scumbag!"

"Me? Scumbag? No. I may be many things but I'm no scumbag. You want scumbags? They're outside my door. You can kill them for all I care. Now, stop your temperamental tantrum and grow up!"

"You're not my father; don't tell me what to do."

"I'm older and you're inexperienced, therefore, you listen to me!"

"Then why did you request Yoruichi-sama to fight the humans? She might get hurt!"

The elder blonde arched a brow. "You don't have faith in Yo-chan? The reason I did that is simply because the humans didn't know about our true identities. They assume we are humans as well. Therefore, I arrange a fight so the humans will understand the strength we possess is not to be taken lightly. And I don't want drunkards coming to my house in the middle of the night trying to attack us!"

"Then why not you? Why do you pick Yoruichi-sama? You're a coward!"

Arashi narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Believe what you want, but I choose Yo-chan because people won't attack her, or at least think twice if she defeats the most powerful ninjas in this village. The humans believe that women are inferior and this misconception still exists. I don't want Yo-chan to be harmed. The best way is to showcase her strength to the public so nobody will dare to attack her for helping my younger self!"

The two exchanged a vehement staring contest, until Arashi broke into laughter. "Oh man. You're really the Soifon-chan I know back in my universe."

"W-What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're a lost, misguided puppy who thinks I'm the bad guy here. Now, let me see that cute little face of yours." Arashi cupped Soifon's chin but the petite girl shook her head away aggressively. "Don't touch me, scumbag!"

"Hey! Stop calling me that! How many times do you want me to say? I love Yo-chan. So stop acting all paranoid and stuff." The elder blonde scratched his head absently.

"I won't let you ruin her life."

"Ruin her life? Soifon-chan, I trained you back in my world. I know you worship Yo-chan beyond a goddess, but something must change. She treats you as a little sister and you look up to her as a mentor. I understand. But one day you have to fight for yourself. One day, she won't be there to guide you and you need to carve that path for yourself. Your destiny is not for her to control and I'm sure your mistress has been trying to pounce that to you since day one."

"You don't know me! And how did our conversation get to me all of a sudden?"

Arashi frowned. "That's right. I don't know you. But I do know one thing. Obsession will eventually leads to hatred. I understand the feeling of being ostracised by the society because you're different."

Soifon widened her eyes in horror. "You..."

"The Soifon-chan back in my world told me. I understand the feeling of loneliness. I know about your brothers' death. After training sessions, Soifon-chan and I used to walk to the hillside and watched quietly at the monument of honourable deeds dedicated for noble sacrifices such as your brothers. You become your clan's sole supporter and the remaining beacon of hope for glory."

The petite ninja gulped. "I-It's not possible. The me in your world... tells you that?"

"She told me how you first met Yo-chan and how your team denounces women's strength." Arashi sat on the mat and sipped his tea casually. Naruto was listening in rapt attention at his elder counterpart's verbalisation. Soifon simply stared dumbly at the blonde shinigami. "I know what it is like to bear a heavy burden on your shoulder. It is awfully painful. The life of solitude is hardship. I understand. But, Soifon-chan, you're strong and you have potential."

"I... I do?"

"You cling onto Yo-chan for a reason. Everybody requires a reason to live. Reason is what makes us strong or weak. Reason is the motivation to keep us doing what we believe what's right or wrong. Reason ties with life. And your reason is to be an equal with her." Arashi gestured Soifon to seat beside her, who unhesitatingly complied. "Soifon-chan, your life is not of a servant. You have potential far greater than you give credit for. I'm not saying you should stop serving your mistress, I'm saying you should find a secondary path for yourself. One day, your mistress will leave you."

"No! She will never abandon her duty!"

Arashi caressed the petite woman's face. "Soifon-chan, you have served your mistress for decades, haven't you? Surely you know she put her friends first. One day, it might happen. You must be strong, Soifon-chan. Revenge, obsession, hatred is just an endless vicious cycle. You're better than this."

"How good am I? None of the clan members of the Fon clan ever achieve Bankai before having KIA in their report card."

Arashi smiled at the confused Soifon. "Do you know that before my grandfather, the captain commander of Soul Society, becomes a shinigami, he is an average civilian living in Rukongai? He used to tell me stories of how he finds out that the world needs a saviour. But nobody is willing to be one, even when they desperately need one. My grandfather chooses to take the mantle and discovers his potential, even when thousands of souls called him crazy."

"R-Really? I don't remember something like that in the history books."

"History is true only to the perspective of the author who wrote history. History is a facade of truth. It consists of both lies and truth. There is no absolute truth, as people's subjectivity and personal misconceptions blind their judgement to the real truth. And when the whole world embraces different truths, truth is just a vague subject of the attraction to what a sentimental beings need to soothe their mind." Arashi chuckled. "The Soifon-chan in my world is now training to attain her Bankai. Yet, before she tries to do what she believes as the unobtainable quest, she comes to me and asks me for a favour."

Soifon blinked, curious at what her counterpart's desire was. "She asks me to believe in her."

"T-That's it?"

"Yeah, but she doesn't need to ask for it." Arashi stroked Soifon's short raven hair. "I have always believed in her, ever since the day she asks me sincerely to train her and helps her walks out from Yo-chan's shadow. I will never doubt her, just as I will never doubt you. Soifon-chan, you're not in Yo-chan's shadow. And you don't need to be. Loyalty is fundamental, but you can become as strong as her and have countless of men looking up to you. As long as you believe in yourself, you can become free."

"What if I don't have the chance to do so?"

The elder blonde flicked a finger at Soifon's forehead. "If you still open your eyes in the morning, opportunity never stops coming. Don't give up, Soifon-chan, but don't let obsessions consumes you. You must be strong for yourself. If Soifon-chan in my world can do what she is doing now, so can you. You just need some faith in you. Doesn't mean you're a girl, you can't be badass. In the battlefield, genders aren't considered. True powers come from inside and you need to understand that. Don't let those flimsy men push you around. You're a girl and when people mess with you, you mess back hard. That is my number one rule. Never let people punk you. You're strong, believe it."

"Yeah! Believe it!" Naruto chimed in.

Arashi deadpanned and turned his melancholy attention to his younger counterpart. Naruto scratched his head and apologised. "I thought you can use some happy add-on."

Unexpectedly, Soifon giggled at Naruto's antics. "It is hard to imagine he will grow up just like you, Uzumaki-sama."

"The name's Arashi. Don't want people bothering to know who I really am."

"Yes, Arashi-sama." Soifon smiled a genuine smile at the blonde shinigami before shifting sights at the younger blonde. "I saw you practicing just now. Do you want some advices?"

"Sure!" Naruto beamed before jumping happily towards the training field. Soifon followed suit, but paused at her steps and twirled around at Arashi. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, Soifon-chan."

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
(Back in Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto's world...)

Byakuya glanced at the clock impatiently. "What is keeping taichou so long? He promises to train our Senka!"

Gin frowned. "Yeah, I was training my Senka yesterday and I figured out a new combination move. I wanna show taichou so he can give me some tips."

Rangiku folded her arms under her ample bosoms. "Senka? As in Flash Blossom? What's that?"

"It is a technique he only teaches to the lieutenant and the third-seat of the squad." The silver haired shinigami smirked. "To be more precise: his protégés.'

"Eh? That's not fair!" Rangiku pouted.

"Don't be petulant. There is a reason why taichou teaches the Senka to us. To effectively use Senka, one must be at the level of an expert in the arts of Shunpo to be able to use the technique. Taichou often tells us that Senka is the technique that allows us to gauge enemy's strength. Whether an enemy is worthy to be killed fundamentally comes down to the enemy's ability to see the speed of it. If the enemy can't block Senka's strike, then the enemy isn't worth any value."

The strawberry blonde sighed. "At this rate, I won't be able to catch up to the two of you."

Gin snaked an arm around Rangiku and grinned. "I'll teach you. Wanna go somewhere more isolated? We'll practice Shunpo and Zanjutsu at taichou's favourite training spot: the forest of Rukongai."

"Okay!" Gin and Rangiku bid Byakuya goodbye and left.

The Kuchiki heir drew his blade and sighed. "I guess I just have to practice it myself then."

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
(Back in canon world...)

"Seriously, how did the humans even see us?" Yoichi whispered to her twin.

"I don't know. Na- Arashi-kun is still deciphering it. Until then, pretend to be visible."

"Pretend? We are visible for cry out loud." The Shihoin heiress eyed her tour guide in rage and yelled. "Where are you bringing us to? I don't like the shops here!"

"YOSH! Then where do the two of you wish to go, my fair maidens?" A boy, dressed in a green spandex and had a bowl hair-cut, gave a thumb up to the twins. Both Yoichi and Yoruichi shuddered at the sparkling white teeth. "I'll like to check out ya's weapon store! Bring my sis and me there! You will be VERY youthful if you do that for us!"

Yoruichi sighed; she really didn't know how her twin was invigorated by an unknown overdrive. It was as if Yoichi ate a tank of sugar. "Yeah, it will be nice to see how the ninja fights with their weapons here."

"YOSH! Then I shall bring you to my teammate's shop! If I can't bring the two of you there in time, I will do five hundred push-ups-"

"Plus two thousand sit-ups!" The Shihoin heiress added playfully.

"YOSH! Yoichi-sama, your flames of youth shines so BRIGHTLY! I shall honour your request and run the entire village twenty times if I fail your humble request!" Lee's eyes shined with intense flames. "Let us go!"

"Yay!" Yoichi chirped, and Yoruichi slapped herself mentally. _"Am I really like that? God!"_

The Shihouin matriarch leaned in and whispered to her twin. "Are you sure you're not trying to kill him? Five hundred push-ups, two thousand sit-ups and running this entire village twenty times? That's not normal!"

"Who cares! We're not normal anyway! Let's go! For glory!"

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"No! You don't swing your sword like that. You will risk breaking your wrist! Here, let me show you." Soifon grabbed Naruto's wrist and exemplified her methods. Arashi simply sat on a chair at the backyard, watching his younger counterpart interacting shyly with the petite girl. The elder blonde unsheathed his Zanpakuto and stared keenly at Fujin Hyogatsu before closing his eyes.

When he reopened his pair of sapphire eyes, he was standing on a familiar patch of cloud. "Eh! Fujin Hyogatsu? If you're there, answer me!"

There was silence.

"Stop ignoring me!"

A climatic column of light descended before Arashi and a celestial silver dragon soared towards the blonde before halting its flight. "What? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Busy? What are you busy for?"

"Er... nothing? Yeah, what do you want?"

Arashi sighed. "Can you explain to me what's going on here? Why am I in this universe? When can I go home? I got a lot of things to do."

The dragon stoked its chin and scratched its horn before shrugging. "I don't know. The only thing I can tell you is that there are many alternative universes in this world. If I'm not wrong, there are a total of more than five hundred different dimensions. Of course, Kami-sama locks the passage there. Somehow, the snarky humans in this universe develop seals that can breach Kami-sama's dimension and force an unlawful transgression. It's illegal, still, the humans manage to do it."

"O...kay... so... you're saying that this is just one of the five hundred dimensions? And I'm living in the other dimension? So, I'm practically an illegal immigrant, huh?"

Fujin Hyogatsu remained stoic. "Yeah, something like that."

"Hmm... you know anything about me in the other dimensions, beside this dimension and my dimension."

Upon hearing the question, the dragon giggled in an uncharacteristic manner. "Heh! Of course! Let see... hmm... there is this dimension where you're just a plain lowly human. Let see... you, in this another dimension as a human, is now attending college. Oh ya! Today is the day you meet Yoruichi's human counterpart who is also attending the same college as you. In another dimension, you are an evil dictator who conquer Soul Society and rape Yoruichi before forcing her into a marriage. And in another dimension, Yoruichi is the evil dictator who conquers Soul Society and rapes you before forcing you into a marriage."

Arashi's jaw dropped. "Ah... er... uh... what?"

"And yes, in another dimension, the both of you conquered Soul Society and raped EVERYBODY... figuratively." Fujin Hyogatsu snickered at his master's gawk. "Oh, let us not forget, the weird dimension where you are the king of all demons and enslave a human and somewhat falling in love with your slave. That slave is Yoruichi. Ah, there is this dimension where Kami-sama appoints you as an archangel but he banishes you to hell for loving another archangel. Guess what? That archangel happens to be another Yoruichi! Hmm... you want to know something?"

Arashi was still dazed in stupor. "W-What?"

"Your dimension is the most balanced dimension out of all. And in every dimension in all the five hundred different portals, you and Yoruichi will always end up together, one way or another. Oh well, class ends. Goodbye!" The dragon flew to the sky and vanished from the clouds.

"..." The blonde stood there, dumbfounded by the information. "The hell? And what's with Fujin Hyogatsu today? He looks so... cheerful. Why?"

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"Are you sure about this, Kakashi?" Sarutobi stroked his chin in deep contemplation. The Cyclops had informed him in detail of both Arashi and Yoruichi's strength, along with an unknown woman, who was deduced as the Shihouin matriarch's twin sister, intruded the village without being detected by their security. It was either the village had been lax or the twin sister of Yoruichi possessed an undeniable stealth prowess. Kakashi also mentioned of a petite woman who, though held an unearthly strength, seemed to be a servant to the female intruder.

"Yes. I believe that they did not even go all out. Arashi-dono has displayed the skills of using shadow clones. However, I am not so sure whether they are shadow clones or the ancient wind clone. Also, Arashi-dono and Yoruichi-dono seem to be good at utilising simply jutsu such as the substitution efficiently in battle. I don't think any ninja, except Hokage-sama, can outmatch them."

The aged Hokage sighed. _"Of course nobody can outmatch them. They are shinigami. We are only humans. How can we even think of defeating shinigami. But now, Arashi's wife has a twin sister! And she is here! In our village? Kami-sama, please forgive us for our sins!"_

Kakashi noticed Sarutobi's uneasiness and queried. "Are you alright, Hokage-sama?"

"Uh... yes! Anko, Yugao, give me your reports." As if on cue, the two women manifested their existences in swirl of leaves before their leader and bowed. "Hokage-sama, we have urgent news!"

"I know. Yoruichi-dono has a twin sister and she is going to reside in the Namikaze compound."

"N-No. Sir, you got it wrong." Yugao muttered hesitatingly.

"What do you mean?"

Anko scratched her head. "Well, Yoruichi-sama has a twin sister and a younger sister as well. And they are going to stay for a few days."

"What? Yoruichi-dono has two sisters?" Sarutobi dropped his pipe. _"Kami-sama, why? Two sisters? Have you forsaken us already, Kami-sama?"_

Anko and Yugao noticed the aged Hokage's uncomfortably posture and asked. "Are you alright, Hokage-sama?"

"Of course! Anko, Yugao, inform Yoruichi-dono that the introductory battle will commence tomorrow. The match is held at the stadium at noon. I will give her the details."

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(Back in Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto's world...)

"Shunsui, have you noticed it?" Retsu frowned.

"Notice what, Hana-chan?"

Jushiro placed his cup of tea on the table and answered. "Naruto and Yoruichi's reiatsu... they're gone."

Shunsui waved a disapproval hand. "Nah, not possible. Unless they travel to the world of the living, it is impossible that the three of us can't track them down in Soul Society. That brat might be good at concealing his huge spiritual pressure but he still couldn't completely conceal all of them. And why would they be in the world of the living anyway? I'm sure the two of you are just paranoid. They're probably hiding somewhere or at their bed-"

Retsu wacked the perverted captain's head before he could finish his sentence. "No matter where Naru-chan goes, we still can sense him. Now, it is like they are completely gone from Soul Society. I have a bad feeling about this."

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(Back in canon world...)

"Ahh! Naruto-kun! Harder! Y-Yeah!" Yoruichi moaned in total bliss as she lied in her bed, allowing her husband to pleasure her senseless.

"Do you like it here?"

"Yeah! Don't stop! Ah! AH! T-That's the spot! You have a great hand, Naru- Ah!"

"So tight. I need to loosen you a bit." Arashi whispered tentatively in his wife's ears. "The question is… do you want more?"

"Y-Yeah! You're such a good masseuse. Where did you learn your massaging skills from?" Yoruichi purred when her husband applied more pressure at her shoulder. "I have talents. Perhaps you wish to explore some of them?"

"We'll do it next time, baby. We have a big day tomorrow." The Shihouin matriarch snaked her hands around Arashi's neck and gently dragged him down beside her for a warm cuddling; the blonde embraced his wife lovingly as he situated his chin atop of Yoruichi's head while his wife listened to her favourite lullaby; his heartbeat. "I have to prepare for tomorrow's match."

"You're fighting humans, honey. That's more than overkill."

Yoruichi giggled. "So, any leads on why the humans can see us?"

"I read about the history of Konoha, actually. Apparently, this nation operates with chakra. However, this chakra is part of the life stream in this universe and it fundamentally links with spiritual energy. Also, when we arrived, I did notice the irregular spirit energy in the woods. When I read the origin of Konoha, I actually have a theory that might explain why the humans can sense, touch and see us."

The Shihouin empress closed her eyes and kissed her husband's chest. "Hmm? Why?"

"The woods are not part of nature itself. Technically, it is. Still, those trees are artificially produced by an extensive used of chakra. The Shodaime Hokage had an ability to reinforce his chakra into life forces. With those skills, he filled this country with most of his chakra. Once the soil feeds on his chakra, it grows into trees and plants. These trees and plants eventually grow into a forest. Think about this village as a dome, and within this dome contains chakra laced in the air. You can say that the trees are releasing oxygen and tiny traces of chakra as well."

"Really? It sounds like the humans are using a bastardised version of our spirit energy." Yoruichi yawned and nuzzled her head against Arashi's chest affectionately.

"I can't say it isn't. I'm just confused why Yoichi has never heard of this place before. And I have never seen hollows here too. If I want to enunciate our conundrum, I can only say that the people residing here can see us plainly because of the immense level of chakra in the woods. That is the only feasible conclusion I can deduce from. Otherwise, I have no clue whatsoever to our situation."

"So, how can we get out of this dimension and return to ours?"

Arashi sighed. "I studied the scroll my younger counterpart used to summon us. Whoever writes that scroll is a genius or something. Even I don't know how to decipher some portion of the content. I just need to finish studying the last segment of the scroll, readjust the seals and pump it with chakra. Spirit energy doesn't work on it. The seals need a large chakra output for it to work appropriately. If it malfunctions, we might travel to another dimension. I am not going to another dimension! Fujin Hyogatsu told me some of them and they're plainly weird!"

Yoruichi grinned. "Weird? Tell me more."

The Shihouin matriarch spent the rest of the night hugging her husband and laughing at the stories of her various counterparts, especially the part where she was a dictator and a sadistic rapist.

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When Yoruichi awoke from her slumber, she giggled at Arashi's peaceful features sleeping beside her. The Shihouin matriarch leaned forward and gave her husband a kiss on his nose, which somewhat caused the blonde to stir in his sleep. Opening his pair of charming sapphire eyes, Yoruichi smiled. "Good morning, baby."

"Good morning, hon." Arashi closed his eyes and Yoruichi pouted. "Wake up, sleepy head. I have a match to catch."

"Ah, it's not like they can defeat the super awesome Yo-chan, right?" The elder blonde kissed his wife and eventually they had a lustful battle of tongue dominance. Yoruichi moaned ecstatically when Arashi poured immense passion into their deepened kiss. Soon, Yoruichi was screaming her husband's name in a lascivious frenzy.

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The loving couple went to the kitchen after taking a shower, in which they had sex again, and were surprised to see breakfast readied. Yugao and Anko were sported with aprons and young Naruto was holding a plate of omelettes in his hands. Arashi grinned. "Oh, this is a first? I don't need to do any cooking today, huh?"

Anko scratched her head nervously. "Well, we're technically guests and you're the head of the household. It's only natural that we do something to help."

The elder blonde shrugged and motioned his younger counterpart to follow him to the garden. When they were isolated, Arashi tilted his head and smiled at the gentle breeze. "Kid, why do you like that Sakura girl? She obviously doesn't like you. From my point of view, she is only using you as a punching bag."

"No! Sakura-chan is very pretty and kind!" Naruto defended.

Arashi arched a brow. "Really? She might be a little cute. But kind? No. Beating you up to vent her frustration is not kind. That's abuse. Besides, she is a fan-girl."

"She's not-"

"Don't you dare lie to me, kid. I am you. I know what you are thinking. For some twisted reasons, you find acceptance from her angers. That's idiotic. It is time for you to grow up. She doesn't like you and that's that. You are a ninja. If you want to become stronger, then there are things you need to sacrifice. If you want to become stronger, focus on the important bits and pieces in life. Not asking a girl out for dates and get trashed."

"S-Sakura-chan is not like that!"

Arashi toyed with his golden locks of hair and smirked. "Swear on our parents' grave that she isn't like that. Hell, swear on your own future grave that she is not like that."

Naruto clenched his fists, a turmoil of confusion rampaging in his mind. "I..."

"Kid, there are many beautiful and strong girls out there. She doesn't deserve you. And she will regret that. In ten years time from now, you might be the Hokage already and you will have a wife and kids. When she sees you in ten years time, she will regret shunning you now." Arashi crossed his arms and smiled. "Don't be let down because a flimsy girl dislikes you. It is time you take everything seriously."

"How can I be serious when everybody treats me... as trash?"

The elder blonde ruffled his younger counterpart's hair and flashed a cheerful smirk. "I am serious about you. If you are not serious about yourself, nobody will be serious at you. You must fight for yourself. Until then can you fight for others and protect those you love. Trust me, tough girls like tough boys... or weaker boys. Well, it depends on your fetish."

"Fetish?"

"Heh! You'll understand one day. Right now, focus on your studies and training. Sakura is history now. You are Naruto Uzumaki. Many great things are waiting for you. Don't get trap in an illusion and believe that Sakura will fall in love with you miraculously. As I've said, there are many girls out there worthy of your love. Sakura is just a flower seating under a pine tree." Arashi chuckled buoyantly.

"W-What if I can't find a girl who will like me."

"Don't be silly. You will find one who will love you as much as you love her. I believe in you." Those four words, so simple, yet had such a powerful driving force that immediately gave Naruto a new resolution. "I will do what I can and try to forget... Sakura-chan. I will focus on training and become stronger! And then... one day... I might meet someone I can really love."

"I know you can."

The young blonde chortled happily, until something struck him. "Parents? You know our parents?"

"Oh? Didn't I tell you that the Yondaime Hokage is our father? And our mom is Uzumaki Kushina." Arashi scratched his temples sheepishly when Naruto gawked at him. "Oops, guess I really forget about that part."

"..." Naruto was still staring dumbly at his older counterpart, and he was aggravated as each seconds drifted by. "WHAT? Why didn't anybody tell me that?"

"Oh, you know? Security protocol. Your _esteem _grandfather, Sarutobi Hiruzen, simply can't be bothered to tell you anything about that. Afraid that you might leave the village or someone will assassinate you from outside. Seriously, he already has trouble dealing with people trying to assassinate you from the inside. And if he is really afraid of Iwa sending troops to kill you, he should tighten up his security. Oh well, he has been lying to you for all these years. Can't really blame him though. I mean, he is afraid you might revolt against him."

The young blonde gritted his teeth; his eyes flashed a feral crimson before he regained his composure. "Are you telling the truth?"

"Why will I lie to myself? I want to open your eyes to the deceptions your so called grandfather has been telling you. See it with your own eyes. He knows who your parents are and yet he seats back in his cosy office spying on naked girls with his crystal ball. And even if he doesn't want to tell you who your parents are, due to his own reasoning, he can still give you your deeds to this mansion and your parent's lifesaving. But no. He didn't. He keeps it all to himself. Why? I wonder..."

Arashi smirked malevolently and tilted his head, winking at the distant sky.

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Sarutobi gulped in fear as he spied at the two blondes with his crystal ball. "Oh no..."

His nightmare only began when Arashi looked at him through the crystal ball; the diabolical smile plastered on the elder blonde's face was sending chills crawling up his spine.

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"It is alright for you to feel angry about him. After all, he was the one who indirectly caused my death when I was five. You, my friend, is just too lucky to survive that ordeal. Naruto, tell me, what is in your mind right now?" Arashi's grin widened when Naruto snarled at the memories he had with his surrogate grandfather. It was all lies; the Sandaime Hokage only saw him as a tool for catastrophe and carnage.

"I want to become stronger."

"And what is your dream?"

"I want to watch this village bu-. No, that is not a sufficient punishment. I want to conquer this village and swallow it whole. I am sicked of people lying to me and backstabbing me. I have enough with all these lies! I need to become stronger!"

Arashi ruffled his younger counterpart's head and smiled in acknowledgement. "Good, because Yo-chan and I will never lie to you."

The elder blonde took out a manual script and handed it to his young counterpart. "I wrote down my fighting styles in this book. The sword techniques, hand-to-hand combats, tips, training exercises and history of the styles. This book only details my wife, my friends, my family and my fighting styles. It will help you greatly in become a professional Kenjutsu and Taijutsu master. Chakra exercises and Ninjutsu techniques can only be found in the village's library. When you're not training, it will be advisable to head down there and do some reading. I have made precautions in case somebody wishes for you to leave the premises unreasonably. It will do you good."

"T-Thanks." Naruto wiped the tears from his eyes; after all, nobody had really given him something precious that he could call a treasure.

"No worries. But, rest in mind that reading theories aren't enough. Practices will make progression to a mastery level. The manual is detailed, but you must use it to train yourself. Find suitable and sensible training partners who are willing to help you. Now, let's go eat breakfast. We're going to watch Yo-chan kicking asses later. Afterwards, you have a training/lecture session with Yo-chan and Yoichi."

The young blonde nodded fervently.

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As expected, Yoruichi defeated her opponents within five seconds, and she was considerably showing certain amount of mercy. She had restrained breaking necks, aiming at the vital points of the anatomical human structures and going for the kill. The populous blanched in horror at Yoruichi's skill. She, a woman, had bested Konoha's top ninjas without breaking a sweat.

She was the epitome of terror.

Afterwards, she left promptly with her twin sister, oblivious to the fact that she, along with Yoichi, had earned themselves a fanboy/girl club.

Yoruichi was standing with Yoichi before Naruto. The blonde actually couldn't distinguish who was Yoruichi and who was Yoichi; they looked entirely the same! Somehow, it was actually very believable that they were the same person from parallel dimensions. "Now, boy, you will learn Hakuda… or Taijutsu, whatever, from the best of the best. Sis and I have never lost to anybody, except Naruto-baka. Or Arashi… whatever."

"Er… so, can we start?"

"Firstly, have you read the manual my husband gave you this morning?" Yoruichi asked with a smile.

"Yes!"

"Which page are you up to?"

"Page 5!" Naruto yelled with glee, in which Yoichi frowned.

"Do you need to be so loud? We are training now. You must differentiate your personalities appropriately. Under disguises, being loud will attract unwanted attentions. In a battlefield, being loud will attract enemies' attentions. Do you want to die for stupid mistakes like that?" The Shihoin heiress waved a finger at the blonde.

"But you're loud!" Naruto retorted.

"I'm different. Don't compare me with you. Our powers are immeasurable to human's standards." Yoichi huffed.

The blonde sulked; he felt as if Yoichi deemed him unworthy to be her student. Yoruichi sighed and smiled softly. "Naru-chan, Yoichi meant that you should accept the truths. You are a human. We are shinigami. The truth is always hard to be accepted, but you must accept it. You have potentials, but you do not have the skills to utilise them in the highest quality. We are here to help you build up that skill. Keep that in mind that we cannot stay here forever to help you. You must learn them yourself to gain your own experiences. Best to rely on yourself than others, right?"

"Besides," Yoichi interjected. "We cannot teach you ninjutsu. What we do is not something a human can do. However, the basics we learn in melee combat are similar to how the humans learn their fighting styles. You have seen my sister's fight just now, have you not?"

"Yes." Naruto nodded.

"Can you see her move?"

"N-No. Yoru-nee moves too fast! She just stood there and all her opponents fell."

"Exactly, that's speed. Speed means everything in the battlefield. In the art of stealth, speed plus precise timing is essential in killing. Act at the wrong time, you die. Act rashly, you die. Act like a brute, you still die." Yoichi grinned.

"So how do I know what to act?"

Yoruichi responded. "It is not the matter of knowing what to 'act'. It is the matter of understanding when and how to 'act'. If nobody tells you that you can bend the trajectory of your shuriken, what will you do?"

Naruto cocked a brow. "I dunno."

"Use your instincts." Yoichi replied and her hand moved in a blur. Spontaneously, shurikens mysteriously embedded on the trees around the trio. "Knowing when to 'act' is the matter of knowing what your instincts are telling you. If somebody throws a punch at your face, you don't shut your eyes to get that fist in your face. You instinctively dodge it and formulate a counterattack. It's the same thing. Now, enough of the boring lectures, Hakuda or Taijutsu, whatever, is about understanding the grace of your movement and unleash it effectively."

"It isn't about being rigid to stances. It isn't about being haughty and arrogant about your combat skills and flaunts them unnecessarily. It is about appreciating the grace of its formal and original stance and uses them creatively. You must understand that there are countless of scenarios that will happen during a battle. Stance one might be sufficiently effective in a broader aspect of battle scenarios, but it might not be effective in other kind of phenomenon." Yoruichi said. "And remember, the slightest of details might determine the outcome of a battle."

"As much as it sounds awful, there is no such thing as an awesome manoeuvre. It is all about knowing the depth of your skills and applying it at the correct timing." Yoichi confirmed. "There is no leeway. No shortcut. You want to be Hokage, right? You want to beat the shit out of all those who lied to you, right?"

"Yes!" Naruto beamed, but immediately regretted what he said when he saw the two women he idolised grinned demonically at him.

"Then let the torture begin." Yoichi drew her arsenals of weapons.

The blonde gulped, but was saved by his precious Yoru-nee.

"Wait! First, we need to discuss about psychological warfare. Heard about it before?"

"Uh… no? What's so useful about that?"

Yoichi grinned sadistically and suddenly manifested her frame before Naruto with a knife at his throat. "What's so useful about this?"

The crazed bloodlust set of eyes and devious drools dripping from Yoichi's lips terrorised Naruto. Instantly, Yoichi smiled cheerily and blinked. "That's psychological warfare."

"And the both of us are practitioners of it. However, Naruto-kun is the true master in it. The trick is simple. However, you need to learn how to know what is what. As a ninja, you must know the art of a profiler."

"Profiler?"

"A person who read emotions simply by the looks of an individual." Yoichi elaborated. "Understand it in depth and exploit emotions. Ninja should understand that. Now, let us stop all this talking and get to some actions!"

The young blonde discovered something that day; Yoichi and Yoruichi obliterated an army of Naruto in seconds and he realised that he had gained memories of his dispersed clones.

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Omake SUPER special: Fujin Hyogatsu's story - The consequence of being a playboy

"Fujin-kun~ Come to me now or I will roast you alive!" Katen Kyototsu roared as gripped her scimitar furiously. "HOW DARE YOU ABANDON ME FOR ALL THESE YEARS?"

A few miles away, hiding behind the wall was Fujin Hyogatsu who had the appearance of a charming young male with blue wild hair, emerald eyes and visible canine fangs and wore a plain white shirt with a loose indigo tie and black trousers. He was panting tediously, desperately avoiding a particular fuming woman's rage. "Damn it! I thought Kyo-chan will forgive me if I apologise to her with a banquet of flowers. I guess I'm wrong."

Fujin Hyogatsu was so focused on avoiding Katen Kyototsu that he wasn't aware of a serpentine child beside him. "Hey, chimpette! I found him!"

"FUJIN-BAKA! I FINALLY FIND YOU UNGRATEFUL PIECE OF SHIT! HOW DARE YOU ABANDON ME FOR ALL THESE YEARS?"

One of the greatest elemental Zanpakuto, one of the most ancient dragons and the strongest wind type Zanpakuto, Fujin Hyogatsu, yelped in horror before running to the opposite direction with all his might.

"STOP RUNNING! REMEMBER THAT NIGHT YOU FORCED ME TO SUBMISSION AND THEN WE HAVE WILD SEX, YOU TOLD ME YOU WILL LOVE ME FOREVER!" The female Zabimaru dashed towards her target with vengeance in mind. However, when Zabimaru yelled out the latter statement, Katen Kyototsu had heard everything.

"W-Wild sex?" Perceiving the fleeing Fujin Hyogatsu in sight, Katen Kyototsu quavered in pure anger before she darted towards her target with vengeance in mind too. "FUJIN-KUN! YOU BASTARD! YOU TOLD ME I'M THE ONLY WOMAN YOU MAKE LOVE WITH! AND WHAT'S WORST? I ACTUALLY BELIEVE IN YOU! UNFORGIVABLE! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! DIE!"

~Half an hour later...

Fujin Hyogatsu coughed in between his laboured breaths as he hid under a tree. "Kyo-chan got it all wrong! After we separated, I met Zabi-chan! Ah! Damn it! How can I explain to them without being killed?"

It was then he felt somebody tapping his shoulder. Turning his attention to the source, Fujin Hyogatsu gasped. "S-Shira-chan!"

The eerily placid expression plastered on Sode no Shirayuki's face perturbed the wind master deeply. "Fujin-sama, it has been years seen we last met. I hope you haven't forgotten those words you said to me when you held me so tightly in bed, hmm?"

"O-Of course not, Shira-chan. I love you! And I always will."

"Really? What is this that I heard that you have an affair with Zabimaru-dono and Katen Kyototsu-dono? Hmm?"

"I-I can explain!"

The blade of snow materialised into Shirayuki's grip as she already had vengeance in mind. "Too late for it. You shouldn't abandon me for all these years! Scream, suffer and DIE!"

Fujin Hyogatsu screamed girlishly like a man he was as his legs were frozen into solid ice. "S-Shira-chan! PLEASE! I-"

The wind master halted his speech. The blazing inferno of hell emerged from existence as Zabimaru, Katen Kyototsu and Sode no Shirayuki stood before the shivering Fujin Hyogatsu. The three enraged women seized their weapon and raised it high, eclipsing the bright sun and sending chills down the wind master's spine. "How dare you treat us as toys? How dare you fool us with your phony love-talk! We won't be fooled no more! Prepare to meet your end, Fujin-baka/Fujin-kun/Fujin-sama!"

"Wait! WAIT!" The three women stopped their attacks.

"Listen to me, please! Kyo-chan! Remember that time I bring you to my world and I told you how I love your insouciant charm and your skills in your shamisen? I love your melodies but more importantly, your smiles are what bring me true happiness. I do love you and I still love you." Fujin Hyogatsu's words touched Katen Kyototsu's heart deeply.

"R-Really?" Katen Kyototsu lowered her scimitar, a clear tint of crimson plastered on her cheeks. "Fujin-kun... I love you too."

"And Zabi-chan! Remember our first fight? I told you that I admire your wildness and your strong complexion? It does make you sexy, Zabi-chan! Don't forget, Zabi-chan, you have the sexiest butt ever! And I meant every word that I said. I will never forget our first moment!"

Zabimaru lowered her sword as well, a pink flush palpable on her face. "F-Fujin-baka..."

"Shira-chan, remember that time when you nuzzle on my chest in the snow and I told you that I wish we could be like that forever, I really mean it. I love you, Shira-chan!"

Sode no Shirayuki lowered her blade, a vibrant blush heated up on her features. "Fujin-sama..."

The three women softened their gazes before forming a group discussion. "I-I don't want to hurt Fujin-sama... what should we do?"

"But I don't want to share him with you two!" Zabimaru said in irritation.

"We have no choice. We love Fujin-kun equally. I guess we should... share... I..."

"Let's ask Fujin-sama's opinion, hmm?" The three women turned their attention back to Fujin Hyogatsu, only to find an empty spot.

"W-Where did Fujin-baka go?"

"Fujin-kun! YOU IDIOT!"

The three fuming women scattered to continue their search for Fujin Hyogatsu. Unbeknownst to the three female Zanpakuto, Fujin Hyogatsu was hiding on top of the tree. "Phew! That was closed. Damn it. I love the three of them, but they won't listen to reasons if I make mistakes. I should have listened to Hyorinmaru. I hate it when my little brother's words become a reality."

"Hey, Fujin!" The wind dragon in disguised tilted his head downwards and saw Zabimaru's younger brother and Katen Kyototsu's younger sister staring at him. "Oh! Hebi-kun! Ten-chan! Uh... hi?"

"Give us one GOOD reason why we shouldn't expose your location to our elder sisters?" Hebi sneered.

"Er... I'll give you cookies?"

"CHIMPETTE! I FOUND YOUR MISSING BOYFRIEND!"

"Oh shi-" The next thing Fujin Hyogatsu realised was his existence being enveloped by a cloak of shadow, his body frozen into ice and a binding red laser beam blasted point-blank at him.

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I personally love the Omake. Fujin Hyogatsu has an opposite reflection in terms of relationship issues with his master. Naruto is loyal to Yoruichi. Fujin is flirty, but he still loves his Zabi-chan, Kyo-chan and Shira-chan. Just flirty. Other than that, he has same attitudes with his master.

Oh well, please review!


	14. Meet the Devil

Yes! Please enjoy reading this new chapter!

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**~ Chapter 14: Meet the Devil ~**

(A week later…)

Yoichi and Soifon had returned back to Soul Society. The Shihoin heiress had took an interest in Naruto and promised to return for the boy the day he died. Of course, the blonde boy was terrified and honoured at the same time.

Arashi had tampered the seals and adjusted it to be operational under the presence of spirit energy. They were finally able to return back to their universe; Arashi didn't know what to think. He wanted to stay and look after his younger counterpart but this dimension didn't belong to him. Yoruichi and Arashi shouldn't even trespass universes, although they did it unintentionally. They had taught the theories to Naruto and all was left was practices and masteries.

"You have to take care of yourself, okay?" Arashi shuffled the boy's hair and smiled. "You still have a long journey to walk through."

"Remember to treat your girls right, yeah?" Yoruichi grinned as she hugged the tearful blonde.

"M-Must you guys really leave me?" Naruto hiccupped.

Arashi grasped his counterpart's shoulder and softened his gazes. "Yes. I don't belong here, Naruto. I have to return to my world and be what I am. I am Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto, captain of the squad ten division and future patriarch of the Yamamoto and Shihouin clan. I still have many apprentices to train. And I still have a wife I have to dote on. I've found where I belong. It is up to you to find where you truly belong. The journey ahead of you will be hard… that is why… you must stay strong."

Yoruichi smiled. "I'm sure you'll find your destined one."

The blonde shinigami stood up and thrust his hand to the side. As if on cue, a portal ripped through the fabric of time and they were readied to leave. Arashi waved a little goodbye at his younger counterpart before he held onto his wife's hand.

In an instant, Arashi and Yoruichi had vanished from Naruto's world.

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(Soul Society)

A portal ripped into existence from the Sokyoku Hill and the couple had finally returned back to their universe. Yoruichi was excited and though she knew her husband was upset and slightly paranoid about leaving his younger counterpart's safety in the hands of destiny, he still insisted to move on. As the couple stepped into the sandy ground of the iconic hill of Soul Society, a horrendous amount of spiritual pressure was expelled vigorously. Yoruichi was startled by the doses of malevolence tainted on the spirit energy and felt a familiar feeling about it.

The spiritual pressure felt like… Naruto's.

When she twirled her attention at her husband, she was terrified.

Naruto's eyes were glowing bloody crimson and his whisker marks were deepened. His canine fangs had grown to a primitive extent and his elongated claws were sharpened beyond demonic. For a moment, Yoruichi thought Naruto had lost all conscious and became a monster. But in split second, his horrific transformation reverted back to normal.

Yoruichi held onto Naruto's shoulder and queried in concern. "Naruto-kun? W-What's wrong with you?"

The blonde blinked and stared at his wife in puzzlement. "What's wrong with what?"

"You!"

Naruto arched a brow of confusion. "Me? I'm perfectly fine. Couldn't be any better. I feel great."

"R-Really?"

Yoruichi examined her husband's features keenly and couldn't spot any diabolic presences on him. He had neither a feral appearance nor a sign of being influenced by Kyubi. However, it was the taint of his spiritual pressure that worried Yoruichi.

Naruto's spirit energy had exacerbated into a horrifying degree before vaporising into a calm semblance. Yoruichi sighed as she couldn't trace any vile spirit energy lurking around her husband and wiped a sweat off from her temples. _"I'm thinking too much… it's not possible."_

It was at that moment Kensei and Retsu manifested their frames before them.

"Yo! Bro, where have you been? We're all worried sick for you." Kensei placed both hands on his hip and twitched the edge of his lips.

"I'm fine." Naruto smiled uneasily. "Just need some alone time with Yo-chan. I'll fill you up with our little misadventures."

Retsu clutched onto the blonde's shoulder and unexpectedly earned herself a wince from Naruto. "Naru-chan, is there something wrong?"

"No…"

"Are you sure? You don't look well."

Naruto removed the grasping hand from his shoulder and clenched his fist. "I'm alright…"

"But you don't-"

"I SAID I'M FINE!" Naruto yelled wrathfully, which caused Yoruichi, Kensei and particularly, Retsu, to flinch.

Exhaling a few deep breaths, the blonde averted his gazes away. "I'll go check on my division. Excuse me…"

Without hesitation, Naruto vanished into a sonic resonance and left Retsu and Yoruichi shaking fearfully.

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Night time had arrived and the blonde had returned from his squad to his manor. When he entered into his house, Yoruichi was standing on the doorway and her eyes were downcast. The blonde ignored the blatant confusion plastered on his wife's features and strolled into his bedroom with Yoruichi trailing his back silently.

Naruto threw his haori at the hanger and walked into his bedroom. Yoruichi followed behind her husband quietly and meekly. She didn't dare to break the silence but she did want to know what happened to her husband. The blonde had been acting strange lately. He was giving her odd looks, as if he wanted to ravish her at the spot. The blonde scanned the chamber vigilantly before announcing his curiosity. "Where are your stuffs?"

"W-What do you mean by that?"

"Your favourite pillow isn't on the bed. Why?" Naruto stood on the doorway, obscuring Yoruichi's escape route.

The Shihouin matriarch averted her eyes nervously and gulped. "I plan to sleep on the guest room. I just think after what we have been through, I think I want to spend some time alone."

Naruto chuckled darkly; Yoruichi didn't like where this was going to. The blonde situated his hand at the wall, pinning himself against the helpless Yoruichi. "Are you joking with me? You're going to sleep… in our room."

Yoruichi shook her husband's hands away and moved into the bedroom, trying to avoid Naruto's devious gazes. She spun around, only to see Naruto in a close proximity. She retreated backwards, taking bigger steps and doing her best to be evasive. Naruto studied Yoruichi's trembling frame and he smirked. "What's wrong, honey? Why are you so scared about?"

Naruto's grin only widened when Yoruichi tripped and fell onto her bed. The blonde climbed atop of his wife and sniffed Yoruichi's neck. "I'm your husband and you will do well to do your role as my wife. I'll be taking a shower. When I come back, I expect this room to be ours again."

Uncurling his belt, the blonde threw it at his wife and he strolled to the bathroom apathetically.

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Kensei sat on wooden pavement outside his room and his admiration was at the beauty of the moonlight. However, his thoughts wavered to the incident in the morning. Naruto was never fierce at his own subordinates and he was never rude to Retsu. The blonde never had a mother in his life and he looked up to Retsu as his own mother. If anybody asked Naruto if he would choose to forfeit either his life or Retsu's, he would, without hesitation, choose the option to give up his own life in exchange for his surrogate mother's wellbeing.

Naruto would never yell at his own mother, regardless of blood relations or not.

Something must have happened.

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Retsu was observing the night stars while sipping her tea occasionally. She was reminiscing on her memories with her son. She had a secret that she had never told anybody, except Naruto and Jushiro. She couldn't conceive any children. She lost her chances to have children when she was almost killed in a battle against a horde of hollow. If Jushiro didn't sacrifice himself to defend Retsu, she would never rise to be a captain.

Retsu felt guilty with Jushiro's deteriorated health and had done her best to aid him.

Naruto was everything she had ever wanted. The blonde was lively, optimistic, kind and filial to her. She had seen Naruto as her own son. A family didn't require blood-relations and her unyielding bond with Naruto was evident.

She remembered the first day she met Naruto.

He was an unorthodox brat who had absolutely no talents in the arts of the shinigami combat styles.

The blonde couldn't even control his abundance amount of spirit energy, but he had never once given up. When other children at his age were enjoying themselves, Naruto kept fighting both physically and mentally. He strived to be the best but most importantly, he strived to discover his purpose in life. She, initially, denounced his strength and even felt that he had no way to become a shinigami.

She was only startled when Naruto displayed flawless control of his power to her a month later.

Retsu thought he was concealing his talents. The truth was Naruto had no talents. He knew he was weak so he sacrificed all his time to training and studying. She had seen the classified reports about Naruto's history. The blonde was murdered ruthlessly and had no childhood at all. She did sympathise the boy.

The next month when she came to visit the enigmatic blonde again, she couldn't believe her eyes.

Naruto had already materialised his own Zanpakuto.

Still, her judgement was firm. She believed Naruto was a hopeless case.

A month later, Naruto was able to successfully discharge a perfect kido spell.

Fifty years later, Naruto broke the history's record of becoming the youngest captain in Soul Society. They called him a genius, a shinigami that came every millennium, the child prodigy. He was not all those things. He was just much hardworking than others. When others were enjoying themselves, Naruto was isolated in the Rukongai's forest, training all by himself. Retsu was curious of the boy.

His perseverance deserved praises.

Whenever Naruto fainted from spiritual energy exhaustion, Retsu would sneakily heal the boy and vanish. She only found out that Naruto was conscious all the time during her healing sessions when the blonde thanked her abruptly one night. They became closed ever since.

She was just confused when Naruto screamed at her. The utter umbrage in Naruto's eyes was genuine and somewhat, she felt hurt.

It wasn't a wound that she could simply heal.

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Yoruichi stared at the haori in her hands. It was the captain haori of the tenth division. Her stomach lurched when she thought of her fear to her husband. She didn't know why, but she felt tremendously afraid of Naruto.

He was definitely different.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts, she didn't realise Naruto was staring at him from her back. Sighing heavily, Naruto queried. "What are you doing?"

Yoruichi jolted in fright and quickly regained her bearings. She avoided eyes contact with her husband and walked to the hanger in an uneasy gait, but she knew Naruto had only a towel draped over his waist.

When she twirled around, Naruto was standing before her. His eyes were unnaturally cold and Yoruichi's fear escalated. "Why are you so afraid of me?"

"N-No, I'm not."

"Good." Naruto leaned forward and planted kisses at Yoruichi's neck. She, however, struggled to escape Naruto's clutches. Frustrated by Yoruichi's unwillingness, Naruto hoisted his wife up in a bridal style fashion and threw her onto the bed before lunging himself at Yoruichi. The Shihouin matriarch kept pushing the Yamamoto heir away, a motion she had never done before.

Angrily, Naruto seized Yoruichi's hands and pinned them above her head before yelling aloud. "Why are you struggling?"

Yoruichi's eyes swelled with tears but she didn't reply. She was petrified with fear to the extent where she couldn't compose any sensible response.

"We're already married. You should know what to do next." Naruto's perplexed features transformed into a subtle satisfaction as a sadistic smirk tugged at his lips. Yoruichi was terrorised at the predatory glints shining in Naruto's eyes. Without hesitation, the blonde's lips crashed onto Yoruichi's. Yoruichi shut her eyes, she didn't know why she felt disgusted but she didn't know why she should struggle. Naruto was her husband… so why was she so afraid of him all of a sudden?

She then realised the cause of her fear.

Naruto's eyes were illuminating a demonic crimson.

Yoruichi twisted her head to her left, desperately trying to elude from her dilemma. She couldn't feel any love in Naruto's kisses. It was as if her husband was trying to rape her, no matter how wrong it sounded. Naruto sucked at Yoruichi's neck and his hands were still clutching onto his wife's hands, effectively halting her mobility. He only stopped when he heard Yoruichi's sob.

The blonde widened his eyes in realisation as he slowly pulled himself away. Naruto was frustrated when he saw the streaming tears in his wife's eyes and her saddened features. Growling with anger, Naruto stood away from the bed and scratched his head. He felt sick of himself but he didn't know why. Darting his furious pair of crimson eyes at the sobbing Yoruichi, Naruto yelled. "What now? Is it so aggrieving for you to kiss me?"

Yoruichi inhaled a deep breath, comforting her choked sobs in the process and muttered. "I know you're Kyubi."

Naruto only narrowed his eyes. "I'm not Kyubi. Perhaps you're just finding excuses for yourself. I hope you better come clear with your thoughts. If I die, the entire Yamamoto clan's asset belongs to you. You have what everybody can only dream of. I don't even know why you're crying."

"The Naruto I love… will never force himself on me. He will never hurt me." Yoruichi stared at her wrists and the burning sensation of Naruto's grip marks imprinted on her smooth skin only deepened the pain in her heart.

Naruto clenched his fists and stormed away, leaving Yoruichi to collapse into weeps.

The blonde never returned home that night.

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Yoruichi couldn't sleep that night.

That look displayed on Naruto's face when she dismissed him…

He felt horrible for what he had done.

Yoruichi sighed and went to the study room. She never really spent her time there. Naruto often brought work back from his office so it was logical that he spent most of his time in the study chamber. She went there and tried to find anything related to Naruto, which might help her discovered what she failed to see who the real Naruto was. Yoruichi examined the study room and proceeded to seat on the leather chair before she examined the books on the table.

She took a random book from the pile and flipped open. Having an avid read, Yoruichi noticed many different colours of tags stuck on the pages. She skimmed through the pages and realised that Naruto had written many notes on controlling his spirit energy. Hell, the stupendous information on the incessant amount of notes outmatched hers. She knew her husband was a genius, but she didn't know he was this dedicated to this work.

She was puzzled however. Most of the notes detailed basic control exercises. "Why will Naruto-kun want to learn this kind of practical exercise? Is this why he is so good at controlling? But that can't be. He has too much spirit energy to control. Still, he does manage through. I never really know why he is so good at controlling his spirit energy."

Yoruichi shut the book and searched for another, only to find a diary. Her interest was piqued; she didn't know her husband had a diary. She flipped through a few pages and read.

_Dear Diary_

_I finally mastered how to control my spirit energy. It is so tiring! I almost die from drawing out too much spirit energy. Then Baa-chan comes and replenishes my energy. She actually thinks I'm not aware of her helping me. I've decided not to tell her. One day, when I can finally trust her, I will let her know and thank her for being so kind to me. I don't have a mother in my entire life and I don't know what to do with one. What should I do if Baa-chan really is my mother? I guess I'll treat her like the queen of the world. Oh well, she's the great Captain of the 4__th__ Division. I'm just a measly brat to her. I'll have to wake up tomorrow early in the morning for the routine again. Gotta go sleep._

_Naruto_

Yoruichi smiled and briefed through the entire diary. It consisted of similar contents. Yoruichi placed the book back and picked up another diary closest to her. Flipping through a few pages, Yoruichi read to herself.

_Dear diary,_

_I have another quarrel with Yo-chan today. I mean, is it my fault for caring so much for her? I understand that she cherishes her friends, but are there any needs to get hurt while doing so? I know I'm being a bit hypocritical about it but we have been through so much. This morning she disappears without telling me why. When I meet her in the afternoon, she runs away without giving me an explanation. When I return home, I confront her. Does she know that I've been worried for her the entire day? During captain's meeting, I have to force myself to concentrate on what jiji is saying. When I talk to her, she starts to avoid me and I have to stop her. When I grab her hand, she winces and jerks back! She keeps hiding that arm from me and I know something is not right. I take her hand and find out that she has accidentally scalded her hands when she tries to protect Soifon-chan from her parents. Of course she forgives them, but can I forgive them? She is my wife! Does she know that her pain hurts me more than she can think of? She has been hiding so many things from me nowadays. Firstly, she doesn't tell me anything about Soifon-chan's family problems. Secondly, she doesn't tell me anything about her hand. It really hurts for me to know that my wife will not share her pain with me. I don't know what to do. I really hate her when she's so considerate for others. Why can't she be considerate for herself for once? Is that too much to ask for? I know I shouldn't be thinking like this but I'm starting to doubt the purpose of our marriage._

_Naruto_

Yoruichi remembered that day. She didn't apologise to Naruto, because he forgave her subsequently and had never mentioned about the ordeal again. She knew her husband was forgiving, she just never thought that her Naruto had doubts for their love. Perhaps she had really taken Naruto's kindness for granted. She continued to read the diary.

After reading a few more pages, she concluded that she was never aware of Naruto's true feelings in the start.

Naruto was always the person who satisfied Yoruichi's needs no matter the price he had to pay to make her smile.

And she was the one who never realised her husband's sacrifices._  
_  
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Retsu sighed and placed her cup of tea onto the table. It was then she saw Naruto standing behind her, through the mirror on the wall, with tears in his eyes. Retsu gasped and stood up before embracing her surrogate son tightly. "What's wrong, Naru-chan?"

"I-I… don't know… what's wrong with me." Naruto clenched his fists firmly. "My emotions… I can't control any of them anymore…"

"Perhaps you're tired?"

"Mom… I'm sorry for shouting at you this morning…" The blonde cried and hugged his surrogate mother.

Retsu gasped softly; Naruto had never addressed her as such. She patted the blonde's back gently and whispered. "Don't say sorry, Naru-chan. I will never resent you, my dear. Tell me what happen between you and Yoruichi?"

"I… made her cry…"

"Tell me what happen."

Retsu spent the next hour listening to Naruto's story and discovered that the Kyubi's presence was manipulating her son's emotions. She spent the rest of her night suppressing Naruto's darkness with her kido. It was a success, for now.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
(The next day…)

Naruto was attending to the pile of paperwork in his desk when he heard a knock from his door. The blonde perked his attention upwards and saw a short boy with white hair staring at him lifelessly. The blonde arched a brow. "What do you want? A candy?"

"I'm here to report for duty, sir."

"Report? For...? AH!" Naruto rummaged the scrambled pile of paperwork and found a document that listed the details of a prodigy in the academy. "Hitsugaya… Toshiro? Shiro? That name fits you."

Toshiro was angered at Naruto's comment and huffed. "Whatever. That woman says that new recruits need to be interviewed by the captain. Something that is totally out of tradition from other squadrons."

"Yes." Naruto was bemused at Toshiro's age; the boy reminded him of himself. "Have a seat."

Toshiro complied and sat down. "What do you need of me, sir?"

"Why did you become a shinigami?"

"…To protect Hinamori."

"Hinamori? Who's that? Your dog?"

"No! She… She's my-?"

"Girlfriend?" Naruto smirked lewdly.

"N-No!" Toshiro blushed. "She's just a friend… I mean, she's like a sister to me."

"Oh!" Naruto nodded in understanding. "So you're into _that_, huh?"

"T-That?"

"You know… boys who like girls older than them."

"T-That's not true!" Toshiro protested.

"Heh. Alright, drop the teasing. What do you fight for?"

"…I don't know. Never really think of that much."

"Do you feel proud of being a prodigy?"

Toshiro smirked. "Do you feel proud of being a legend?"

"Yes, I do. But that's because I can." Naruto said. "When you're in squad ten, you abandon all doubts. You fight for your comrades. We are your family. I don't welcome animosity towards your own friends. You don't attack other squads and you respect women equally. Do I make myself clear?"

"Clearer than crystals. In fact, it was Matsumoto who recommends me to join your division."

"Good. If that's the case, you will like this division a lot. Now get out of my office and report to Byakuya. He's the lieutenant by the way."

Toshiro sighed and stood up before bowing. "Thank you for accepting me, sir."

"It's Uzumaki Taichou. Not sir. Understand?"

Toshiro smiled. "Understood, Uzumaki Taichou."

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Yoruichi had sighed for the umpteen times since morning. Soifon was concerned and queried. "Yoruichi-sama… you look depress. Is there anything wrong?"

"Nothing… I didn't have a good night sleep last night, that's all."

Soifon immediately blushed at her master's statement. Yoruichi stared at her protégé's antics and giggled. "You're such a pervert, Soifon! I didn't make love to my husband last night."

"O-Oh. So… what's wrong then?" Soifon's blush deepened. "I-Is it because… Naruto-sensei doesn't want to give… it… to… you?"

"Give it to me?" Yoruichi arched a brow momentarily in puzzlement before deciphering Soifon's words and chortled. "No! It's not like that. It's just… we have an argument last night."

"Oh? Anything serious?"

"I don't know, Soifon. I just…"

"Can I come in?" A familiar voice intruded.

Yoruichi stiffened at Naruto's sudden presence and Soifon noticed her master's fear. The Shihouin matriarch was avoiding gazes at her husband who was standing at the doorway and muttered. "We're busy…"

The blonde wasn't convinced. He slid the door opened and turned his attention at Soifon. "Fon-chan, can you take a walk in the garden for a while?"

Soifon eyed her master in uncertainty; she didn't know what to do. She sighed and left.

An uncomfortable silence invaded the room and Naruto sat down. "Y-Yo-chan… last night… I…"

The blonde averted his guilty pair of eyes away. "I'm sorry."

Yoruichi closed her eyes. "That isn't enough. I need an explanation."

"You're right. I went to baa-chan's house last night and she helped me to suppress Kyubi's influence. Right now… I'm back to myself."

"Then what?" Yoruichi exclaimed. "Do you know how insecure I am? I don't know when you will become… not you! I don't know what should I do if you can't control yourself next time. Are you going to beat me? Are you going to force yourself on me again?"

"Yo-chan, I was-"

"Do you know that I'm afraid? I'm afraid of you, Naruto-kun! I don't want to lose you…" Yoruichi collapsed into tears and her husband hugged her gently. "I promise that there will be no-"

The Shihouin matriarch pushed Naruto away and cried. "Stop lying! Unohana taichou has already told me everything this morning. Kyubi is only suppressed temporary. I can't keep on doing this, Naruto-kun. I-I think we… we need to let us cool down and-"

"So you're asking for a divorce?"

"No! I just want…"

"I understand." Naruto stood up and his expression of sadness hurt Yoruichi's heart deeply. "I'll live in jiji's house. I'll give you some time to consider. If you really want a divorce… I don't mind."

The blonde shut his eyes solemnly and vanished into a trail of wind.

Yoruichi simply sat there and stared at the vacated spot her husband left behind. Her tears were still streaming down her delicate features.

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(A few hours later…)

"Are you fucking serious?" Kensei bellowed.

"I am very fucking serious." Naruto slammed his jug of beer onto the counter and sighed.

"I'm sure Yoruichi-san will never want a divorce. She loves you greatly." Shinji rested his cheek on the base of his palm.

"I don't want to hurt her. She's right. I can't control myself and I don't know when I will become a monster. I'm a living time bomb. Who knows what I might do?" The Yamamoto heir toyed with his beverage with his finger and sighed.

"Hey, look at it this way." Rose intruded. "This little time-off might improve your relationship. No relationship always remains positive. You got to quarrel sometimes and make-up to further understand each other. That's only natural."

"I know… it's just…" Naruto sighed heavily.

Kensei draped a hand over his friend's shoulder and grinned. "How about it. We go to the night club in Rukongai and chill there. What do ya think?"

"Nah… I'll pass."

"Dude!" Shinji nudged Naruto's forearm. "All this seriousness will kill you. Give it a try. I'm sure Yoruichi won't mind. Besides, it's not like she will know you're there anyway. You don't say, we don't say, why will she knows anything?"

"Shinji's right, Naruto." Rose said. "Come on! Stop being such a pansy."

"I have no idea, man." Naruto fiddled with his finger and abruptly perked his head up. "Hey, have you heard of a bizarre news lately?"

"What news?" Kensei arched a brow before breaking into a perverted snicker. "Oh? Is it the news about Makiyo being a lesbian? Damn! She's hot! Too bad-"

"N-No! I mean the news about souls evaporating to dust. My grandfather told me a few days ago."

"Nah. Not possible. Souls just can't evaporate into dust." Shinji concluded.

"Maybe. My grandfather told me that there are a few souls missing from the database."

"Does the idea of the database being fucked up come across you or something?" Kensei suggested.

Rose stroked his chin. "Oh well. It's not big news really. The database is infamous for spluttering nonsense all the time. Who cares about that? What is truly important now is you removing that uptight stick out of your ass and let's go party!"

"I don't really have the- Wait, Shinji, you told me that you've a new lieutenant, right? What's his name?"

Shinji nodded. "Aizen Sousuke. Why?"

"Aizen… Sousuke." Naruto's eyes were downcast.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you become gay?"

"No… it's just…" The blonde switched his attentions sharply at Shinji and said quietly. "Be careful of him. That guy is dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Kensei scoffed. "He's just a lieutenant."

Shinji corrected Kensei as he narrowed his eyes. "No. I purposely led him to my squad. That guy is full of mysteries."

"Full of mysteries?" Kisuke was curious.

"I kinda feel like he's holding back a lot when we spar." Shinji gazed upon his drink. "Something tells me that he's not your average dude in the neighbourhood. Wait. How did you know about Aizen?"

Everybody twisted their head and faced Naruto.

"Back in the academy, I was flaunting my spiritual pressure at him."

"So?" Kensei arched a brow.

"You guys know that my spiritual pressure is considerably huge for someone my age during that time, right?"

"Yeah. That's a fact." Kisuke smirked.

"That's the problem. When I release my spiritual pressure, even Yo-chan felt nausea but he didn't even flinch a bit."

"Wait a sec!" Shinji interrupted. "You mean Aizen is in our class?"

"In my class." Naruto rectified.

"Oh. Continue."

"My question is, why is Aizen concealing his strength when he's probably a prodigy?"

"Perhaps he fears the paparazzi?" Kensei suggested and the group laughed.

"At any rate, Shinji, be careful. If he does something fishy, contact us immediately." Naruto said with concern in his eyes.

"Relax, Naruto. You're just being paranoid. What can he possibly do? Turn all of us into hollows and have Central 46 hunt our hides?"

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Naruto was standing outside of his grandfather's mansion. Exhaling a tired breath, the blonde stepped into the house and ventured quietly towards the main hall of the mansion. He wasn't surprise to see his grandfather seating on his regular seat, sipping tea while staring at the beatific garden at their yard. "Jiji, I'm home."

"Home?" Genryusai sighed. "Your home is with my daughter-in-law. What are you doing here?"

"…" Naruto sat beside his grandfather and poured himself a cup of tea. "I'm considering a divorce."

"Why?" The aging captain somewhat wasn't startle by the abrupt news.

"Kyubi." Naruto suppressed his urge to display his sorrowful emotions. "I can't control him anymore, jiji. I can't do this. I can't let Yo-chan get hurt because of me. Even if she hates me, I will rather die than letting anything to happen to her."

"Then what do you wish to do? A divorce is too severe." Genryusai stroked his chin. "I'm sure your wife doesn't wish for a ridiculous thing such as a divorce."

"I really can't-"

"Unohana taichou has informed me." The grandfather interjected. "I understand your condition is getting worst. Still, there will be a solution to-"

"Don't you get it? There is no solution to my problem!"

"What are you afraid of?" Genryusai took a sip from his tea.

Naruto arched a brow. "Afraid?"

"You are unwilling to face your fear for some reason… why?"

"I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Foolish boy!" Genryusai raised his volume and alerted his grandson's full attention. "I have raised you up. I know your lying expression. Why are you avoiding your fear? You have to face them no matter what. You might try to avoid it for now, but it will haunt you for the rest of your life."

"I don't want to talk about this tonigh-"

The grandfather stood up abruptly and walked away. "Think about it then. You cannot escape your destiny."

"Then can I request something from you?"

Genryusai halted in his tracks. "What is it?"

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(The next day…)

"Let me in! I'm only going to see my grandfather-in-law! Is that a crime?" Yoruichi snarled at an officer, who was shrinking under the patronising glare of the Shihouin matriarch.

"N-No but-"

"What is all this ruckus?" Genryusai stood on the doorway of his office, staring impassively at Yoruichi.

The Shihouin matriarch bowed hastily before she asked. "Where is Naruto-kun? I can't sense his spiritual pressure the whole day. Where did he go?"

The captain commander gestured the officers to leave them before he beckoned his granddaughter-in-law into the chamber. Seating gracefully onto his chair, Genryusai sighed as he eyed the anxious matriarch. "He went to fight the devil for you."

Yoruichi blinked. "W-What?"

"Don't you get it, Yoruichi? Naruto is betting on his life for you. He is fighting his devil… for you. He is confronting Kyubi as we speak."

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Yes! Finally, I have finished this chapter and the dimension trasnporter arc as well! Yay! The story is finally progressing to what I truly want it to be.

Yay!

P.S: I have lousy grammar. I admit it. There is no need to keep nagging this fact at me.

Please reiew!


	15. What I'm Fighting For!

Author note: Yeah, it has been 3 months but I have no inspiration for this story till now. I apologise for my... lateness.

* * *

**~ Chapter 15: What I'm fighting for? ~**

"Taichou has disappeared!" Rangiku whined aloud. "I hope it isn't a kidnapping."

Byakuya sighed. "Very inauspicious indeed."

"Oh yes, I wonder who could have the guts to kidnap taichou." A certain silver haired shinigami took a casual sip from his cup of warm tea.

Toshiro stroked his chin and caught a glimpse of Gin's subtle yet malevolent smirk tugging at his lips. Without hesitation, the white haired shinigami pointed a finger at Gin. "Ah ha! It's you, Ichimaru Gin! You're the culprit!"

"Hehe." Gin snickered deviously. "Oh my dear boy, why are you accusing me?"

"Coz you're smiling!"

"Everyone smiles, Hitsugaya-"

"Your smile is freaking creepy!"

"I'll say… so every time if something 'creepy' happens in the barracks you inevitably blame me for it? What about Byakuya seating over there?" Gin shifted the blame over the nonchalant noble.

"What about me?"

"You're keeping quiet the whole time, suggesting subliminal innuendo of guiltiness." Gin grinned impishly. "So it's you, Bya-Bya! Why did you kidnap our taichou, you murderer!"

Byakuya merely deadpanned. "Your idiocy knows no bounds."

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Darkness enveloped Naruto's vision as he couldn't perceive anything in his vicinity. It was a void that Naruto couldn't comprehend and everything in his sight was a black emptiness. Suddenly, a bright aluminous flashed through his vision and instantly, a malicious pair of vermillion eyes stared at Naruto.

"We finally meet… face to face." Kyubi, a colossus fox with a malignant grin plastered on his face, sneered at an impassive Naruto. "Now tell me, my dearest jailor, what do you want from me? For you to come to me so bravely, I'm guessing that you wish to talk to me, eh? Now speak."

The blonde spat. "You know what I'm here for. I'm gonna end this… once and for all. You've ruined my life enough. I won't let you take Yo-chan away from me."

"Hehe. Really? Me? Taking away Yo-chan?" Kyubi chuckled sinisterly before his amusement erupted into a vile chortle. The entire prison trembled in a horrific tremor as shockwaves rippled simultaneously as the demonic fox guffawed. Naruto stood his ground firmly and his glare fixated furiously at Kyubi. "Allow me to educate you, boy. I am you. You are me. The both of us… have become one. The moment you achieve Bankai… I have won this war."

The blonde narrowed his eyes to vicious slits. "Whatever you say."

"Don't believe me, eh?"

Smokes started to rise from the ground and clouded the blackness. Naruto covered his eyes with his arm, annoyed by Kyubi's tricks. Frustrated in exasperation by the unexpected and prolonged fiasco, the blonde swiped his arm angrily and the white smoke dispersed. Much to Naruto's chagrin, standing before the blonde was a doppelganger of him who wore a white suit. The mysterious entity smirked as he stared with nefarious intent at the blonde. "Remember me?"

Reminiscence of the night terror that he once had, Naruto widened his eyes in fear. "Y-You…"

"I misled Fujin Hyogatsu. You didn't steal my power in the future. On the contrary… I was the one who devoured your conscience. Let me… formally introduce myself to you… I'm Kyubi, the Grand Emperor of the new world." Kyubi bared his fangs at his jailor.

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "You're delusional."

"Oh, yes, almost forgot to elaborate." Kyubi took a step forward. "I'm also… you."

The blonde simply arched a brow.

"That means… Yo-chan belongs to me. And unlike you, I intend to make her my queen." Kyubi smiled.

"You're full of crap."

"Say the man who's afraid of his own darkness." Snapping his fingers, Kyubi summoned flames and encompassing the both of them with accursed inferno. Naruto flexed his fingers and tilted his head in confusion. "Afraid? I can kill you if I want, Mr. Asshole."

Kyubi retained a melancholy expression. "Kill me? You're welcome to try."

Naruto absorbed a gargantuan amount of spirit energy as his body radiated a powerful aura. "Rage of the heavenly storm…"

The diabolic entity only widened his smirk, as if he was waiting for an imminent scheme to unfold in fruition.

"Fujin Hyogatsu!" A gigantic outburst of sheer reiatsu that was expelling from Naruto's body dissipated beyond anticipation. "W-What?"

Kyubi only crackled manically. "Naruto, Naruto, Naruto. You just don't get it all. Allow me to show you…"

The blonde stared in disbelief as the entity was smirking with confidence. "Rage of the heavenly storm… Fujin Hyogatsu."

Naruto widened his eyes in terror as Kyubi drew out an identical replica of Fujin Hyogatsu. "Now, Naruto…" The demonic entity examined his blade in delight as he saw his reflection through the steel of the sword. "What can you tell me about this? Surprise that I wield Fujin Hyogatsu and yet you're incapable of calling him out? Wanna know why?"

The blonde gritted his teeth with irritation.

"Because Fujin Hyogatsu never belongs to you." Kyubi snickered. "This blade is a fragment of my soul. The moment you achieve Bankai, you have achieved your doom as well."

"What do you-"

"Do you understand what it means to reach the pinnacle of glory by acquiring supreme power? A zanpakuto chooses whether his wielder is worthy to be wielded or not. You and I… to be honest with you, Naruto, I am the true wielder of this blade the moment you foresee Fujin Hyogatsu's true form." Kyubi sighed. "Still, the only credit I can give you is the fact that Fujin Hyogatsu… chooses me through you."

"I can still subdue you. With or without Fujin."

"Really?" Kyubi swung his blade and felt the momentum of the sword. "Stop kidding around. Without Fujin Hyogatsu… without me… you're nothing!"

"We'll see about that."

"Oh, by the way…" Kyubi's iniquitous grin widened. "After I've dealt with you… I will have my way with our… Yo-chan."

Without hesitation, Naruto roared wrathfully and charged forward.

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Retsu sighed in content at the peacefulness of her barracks and the serenity of Soul Society was soothing. Taking a short sip from her tea, Retsu watched as the birds chirped and the gentle breeze swept her garden's grass bed. The wind stirred and a reverberation of sonic resonance echoed behind her. Retsu swerved her sights to her back and was surprised to see a panicked Yoruichi rushing towards her. "Y-Yoruichi-chan? What's wrong?"

"N-Naruto-kun! It's Naruto-kun!"

"Calm down, Yoruichi-chan. What is going on-"

"My husband is missing!" Yoruichi broke down in tears. "W-We… have a fight yesterday and… he wants a divorce."

Retsu was horrified. "Divorce? This is no small matter. What's going on? Tell me everything."

The Shihouin matriarch nodded hastily.

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Naruto panted tediously as sweats were dripping from the tip of his hair. _"Damn it… it's like I'm fighting myself. He has all of my reflexes… my skills… my powers… How can I beat someone who thinks the same way as I am? It's impossible… no! No! I can't lose to him. If I lose… Yo-chan will be… No. I can kill him."_

The blonde muttered silently. "Rikujokoro."

Six planes of lights jammed onto Kyubi's waist abruptly, much to the entity's dismay. "Shit-"

"Sajo Sabaku." Hoisting his hands upwards, Naruto spread opened his palm and tendrils of lights wrapped around Kyubi. Spontaneously, the lights materialised into shimmering radiance of ropes as they bound Kyubi firmly. The demonic entity struggled to shatter the binding spell but to no avail was he capable of relinquishing himself from his imprisonment. "Damn it! Release me at once, you fool! Don't you get it! Once I take over, I can give the Yo-chan we love… paradise!"

"Shut up and die." Naruto's eyes were sparkling with absolute resolve as he raised his fingers before dark orb of energy manifested atop his fingertips. "Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of madness! Boil forth and deny. Grow numb and flicker. Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternity self-destruction doll of mud! Unite! Repulse. Fill the earth and know your powerlessness! Hado no. 90: Kurohitsugi! Taste the power of total annihilation, you wretched beast!"

"N-No! No!" A humongous column of darkness surrounded the immobile Kyubi as he quavered in fear and the inferno that threatened to swallow both combatants was engulfed by the enclosing box of death. Naruto vanished swiftly before he reappeared a faraway distance from the inevitable slaughter. "No! Please! N-Naruto! Stop this-"

_"I will kill him." _Everything went silent when the entire box overwhelmed the demonic entity and devoured Kyubi with ravaging malice.

Remorselessly, Naruto aimed his palm at trapped Kyubi. "I'll obliterate him… once and for all. Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired!"

Pink ray of energised spears, which were suppressing tremendous power, were directing their target at the black box while charging in repression. The former spell dispersed as blades of repugnant power had already stabbed into the box. Kyubi was bleeding immensely as his pants were that of fatigue and exhaustion. The demonic entity blanched in terror when he recognised the hado spell that was readied to launch at him had activated.

"Shit…"

"Rot in hell and leave my woman alone, Kyubi. Hado no. 91: Senju Koten Taihou!"

Brutally, Kyubi was slammed upon by a power of sheer devastation mercilessly.

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"Yoruichi-chan, you know Naruto is trying to protect you. That's why he's suggesting a divorce."

"B-But why?"

"For starters, if your story is true-"

"There is no if. It is the truth." Yoruichi sorrowful pair of eyes was downcast. "And now Naruto-kun is missing. It's all my fault."

"Naru-chan knows he can't ensure your safety due to his… problem. You know the boy. He loves you more than anything. Well, more than me, his own mother." Retsu sighed. "Trust him, Yoruichi-chan. He knows what he's doing. Naru-chan is trying his best to protect you and your future. Look at me, Yoruichi-chan. Look at me."

Yoruichi stared at Retsu with teary eyes. "You have to be strong for Naru-chan. Trust him to do the right thing. That's what a wife is supposed to do."

The Shihouin matriarch nodded, albeit uncertainly.

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Naruto gazed lifelessly upon a kneeling Kyubi. The entity was bathed in blood but he was not the slightest stigmatised by his ordeal; his arrogant grin was still tugging at his lips. "W-Why… didn't you finish me off?"

"Because I'm better than this. I figure killing you is just letting you off too… easily."

"You'll regret it." Kyubi swung his blade upwards and a legion of wind slices were discharged at Naruto's direction. "Eat your very own technique! Kaze Kama **(Wind Scythes)**!"

Naruto was apathetic as his fingers interlocked in a praying motion while he whispered the chant. "Walls of iron sand…"

"I won't let you!" Kyubi roared fiercely as he tossed a sphere of swirling wind onto the sky. "Kami Ryu no Arashi **(Divine Dragon Storm)**!"

"A priestly pagoda…"

Cloud of dark despair hovered above a nonchalant Naruto and its sizes were growing in an astounding speed. Violent typhoons and savaging cyclones descended from the thunderclouds and a stream of white haze covered the blonde's surrounding.

Naruto, however, continued in a monotone. "Glowing ironclad fireflies…"

"Behold! The true power of Fujin Hyogatsu!" Kyubi grinned as he raised his sword and slashed downwards, blasting off a shockwave of wind. "Take this! Manfu no Ken **(Ten Thousand Wind Blades)**!"

Enormous chunks of clouds animated around Naruto's vicinity with infinite amount of swords' tips protruding it, shifting their targets solely at the epicentre that was Naruto.

"Standing upright, silent to the end." The blonde finished articulating the last phrase of the chant and smirked. "Bakudo no. 75: Gochutekkan!"

Iron pillars emerged from black voids and encompassed Kyubi. Before all of the opposing charging wind could reach Naruto, the pillars squashed onto Kyubi's waist and the legion of wind blades dissolved into mere breezes. All of the storming clouds and psychotic hurricanes exploded into nothingness and Naruto grinned at the confined Kyubi. "Kyubi, it is true that Fujin Hyogatsu plays a major role in my life… however, because it does, I know everything about it… including its weakness."

Kyubi groaned.

"Mastering Fujin Hyogatsu is exceedingly arduous, compare to other Zanpakuto. Controlling the air particles in the air takes stupendous toll on the user's mind. It requires finest concentration and strength just to wield the blade. Once the user lost concentration… well… he controls nothing." Naruto smirked. "That's why I didn't bother fighting you with hand-to-hand combat. All I need to do… is to restrict your movement."

The blonde walked towards Kyubi and smiled. "I have enough of your bullshit, Kyubi. For Yo-chan… I will stop you."

"Don't be a fool. I am your darkness. Your hatred is never ending… it will not stop! Out of love… hatred is born! As long as you love our Yo-chan… your anger will never fade. I will never fade."

"We'll see about that." Naruto placed a palm on Kyubi's chest and grinned. "Hado no. 88: Hiryugekizokushintenraihou!"

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"Everything will be okay, Yoruichi." Kukaku cooed as she stroked her best friend's arm for providing some comfort. "I'm sure your idiot won't die like that."

"But anything might happen-"

"Just stay calm, okay? There's nothing much you can do anyway. Just trust Naruto-baka." Kukaku slapped her forehead and sighed. "I swear, you really become a softie after you're married, Yoruichi."

"What do you mean by that?" Yoruichi stared at her cup of steaming tea.

"I mean… you ain't the Yoruichi I know after you married Naruto-baka. The Yoruichi I know is brave and hilarious, not sulky and moody." The Shiba princess flashed a toothy grin. "Just have faith on your husband, you stupid cow."

"Me? Stupid cow?" Yoruichi feigned a mock sadness. "Are you jealous of my proportions?"

"Mine are bigger than yours!" Kukaku pumped her chest forward and the two women guffawed in merriment.

The Shihouin matriarch giggled. "Thanks…"

"You're welcome."

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"Don't you get it?" Kyubi spat a glob of blood at the ground and chuckled darkly. "No matter what you do, I will live for eternity. My power is limitless. As long as your hatred is everlasting, my existence becomes everlasting. You understand, right? Your hatred for me is too much that you're feeding me power. Your negative energy equates to my source of power!"

Naruto scrutinised his dire situation as he glared at Kyubi. _"I just blow a hole in his chest… yet he can still walk around. Is this really true. Is my anger really feeding him… power?"_

"Let me lecture you." Kyubi's fatal wounds gradually regenerated spontaneously and Naruto was astounded in disbelief. "It seems you still don't get it. Don't make me say it over and over again, Naruto; no matter how persistent you are, trying to kill me is inconceivable and nonsensically absurd. I am you. You are me. We are one. If you kill me, you perish. If I kill you… well, you perish. Don't you see it? Your actions and determination are futile."

"I will find a way to stop you."

"You just don't get it at all, don't you?" Kyubi cracked his neck. "It's impossible to kill me!"

"We'll see about that!" The blonde bellowed before he thrust his palm forward. "Soren Sokatsui!"

Kyubi snickered as everything was all according to his anticipation. When the disastrous spell was about to collide against the demonic entity, Kyubi clawed the blazing flames into harmless halves and smokes arose from his fingertips. Naruto gaped in bewilderment at Kyubi's sudden boost of strength. _"He just split a level seventy plus spell with his bare hands…"_

"Allow me to show you true despair! Witness my power and fear the everlasting darkness that shall consume your soul!" Kyubi roared as he hoisted a finger upwards before black energy warped around his hand and the entire platform shook in horrifying tremors. The entity's spiritual pressure skyrocketed as he channelled his demonic power into his imminent attack. "Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of madness! Boil forth and deny. Grow numb and flicker. Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternity self-destruction doll of mud! Unite! Repulse. Fill the earth and know your powerlessness!"

Naruto's eyebrow twitched vigorously as he was petrified by the sudden display of raw power that Kyubi was flaunting.

"Make peace for those you condemn, for the hour of your last moment shall fall! Hado no. 90: Kurohitsugi!"

The blonde shut his eyes as an ebony dome of death engulfing him in whole. _"I've failed you… Yo-chan… my love."_

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_"What do you love me about, Naruto-kun?"_

_"Heh! I don't know."_

_"What do you mean by that? You mean you love me for… no reason?"_

_"Yah."_

_"Jerk!"_

_"Alright! No jokes…I love that horrible snores you mak- Ouch! What's that for?"_

_"You know exactly what that's for! You deserve it! Stop it and tell me!"_

_"Your childishness- Ouch! What now? That is so your trait!"_

_"Say like you mean it."_

_"Hehe. Well, I like many things about you. Where should I start? Hmm… Ouch! What now?"_

_"You're teasing!"_

_"Heh, you see right through me. Creepy, but that's what I like about you. And many things really. Your loyalty and responsibility are one of them. And how you love ramen and play ninja is part of them. Oh, I love your singing as well. Too many things, can't be bother to list all of them."_

_"Meow! Am I awesome or what?"_

_"Not really."_

_"What!"_

_"You're bossy and you hate losing. And you always whine when you lose! You're flirty with your male colleagues, giving them false innuendo and fantasies and I have to clean up your mess every time. And you skip dinner every Sunday!"_

_"That's because grandpa is boring with his tea ceremony rubbish every time we finish dinner! You know how many hours we wasted just because-"_

_"Ah! Ah! Ah! Impatience! Another flaw! And don't you pout at me. You know that's so true."_

_"So you don't love me because of that?"_

_"On the contrary, I seem to be attracted to violent, and somewhat promiscuous woman. I'm asking for it, I know."_

_"Don't say it like you're the victim here."_

_"Then do you want to make me your victim?"_

_"Oh, you bad boy, Naruto-kun."_

_"Isn't that why you marry me?"_

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Naruto opened his eyes and they glowed off an ominous illumination. The black coffin that enclosed him in a death trap shattered into billion of broken fragments as a shockwave erupted from the blonde's frame. Kyubi was stupefied as his jailor walked forward, completely unscathed. "W-What? Impossible!"

Thrusting his arm to his side, Fujin Hyogatsu finally materialised in his grip, startling Kyubi in the process.

"N-No! T-This is not possible! Fujin Hyogatsu belongs to me! Why will he acknowledge you as his owner? No! This is blasphemy!"

"I finally understand what I'm fighting for. You, who have no one to care about, cannot defeat me. Accept reality, Kyubi." Naruto smirked. "You have lost."

The demonic entity was trembling with rage. "Preposterous! Y-You! Just die, won't you?"

Kyubi charged forward blindly and swung his blade forward.

What happened next had dumbfounded the demonic entity.

Naruto seized his blade, halting his momentum, with his bare hand.

"I-Impossible…"

"It isn't impossible. It's right in front of you. Choose to accept your fate or not, this is your doom." The blonde was stoic as he gazed down upon Kyubi. Without hesitation, Naruto swung his sword upwards, delivering a fatal slash on Kyubi's torso. Blood gushed out of the entity's wound as he grinned weakly at his jailor. "Y-You have won this round… Naruto… but-"

"Don't mistake me for being merciless. I cut you… not because my sword is urging me to erase your existence, but to sever your ties with me. You are free."

Kyubi coughed violently and realised his legs were dissipating into dust. "Tsk. You win this round… but don't be cocky, Naruto. If you get yourself killed, I will come back."

"Don't be delusional. That will never happen."

"You… wish."

With that, Kyubi vanished into nonexistence.

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(A few days later…)

Naruto opened his eyes lethargically, only to see a worried Yoruichi examining him in close proximity. "Y-Yo-chan?"

"N-Naruto-kun!" Yoruichi hugged her husband lovingly. "I miss you so much, even if it have only been three days."

"T-Three days?" The blonde blinked weakly.

"Yeah, sleepy pie."

"H-How do you find me?" The blonde recalled his battle with Kyubi and tried to detect the vile stains of spirit energy within him, only to find no trace whatsoever of Kyubi's influence. It was as if the demonic entity had disappeared.

The Shihouin matriarch smiled benignly. "I thought that you might be hiding in our old playground. It seals off any spiritual energy trying to get in or out of that place. It's the one and only place you will… train without any outsider's interruptions. I told Kukaku about it and we went there to check it out. I guess my institution was right because you're lying on the ground like a corpse. I was so scare, you know? There was no pulse on you… you died for like an hour! And then you just come back to life…"

"I died, huh?" Naruto chuckled. "T-That's interesting…"

Yoruichi pouted angrily. "That's not interesting at all! I thought you're dead, you know? What will I do if you're gone?"

"Heh. You get more time torturing poor bastards and shopping-" Naruto was silenced when his wife crashed her lips on his fiercely, almost forcefully as she poured her grievance and turbulent emotions into the kiss. Separating their kisses with a trace of saliva bridging their parted lips, Yoruichi caressed her husband's cheek and stared pleadingly into his warmth eyes. "Don't leave me again, Naruto-kun. I should've been more supportive to you, even when I know that demon in your stomach is trying to kill you… You still put up with me…"

"It's not your fault, Yo-chan. I should've-"

Yoruichi placed a finger on Naruto's pale lips and smiled remorsefully. "I'm at fault here. Please let me take the blame. I don't want you to struggle-"

"Yo-chan…" Naruto interjected quietly. "I remember clearly when I was fighting Kyubi in my mindscape."

The Shihouin matriarch listened with rapt attention.

"He was so strong. I couldn't beat him. No matter what I do, nothing affects him. He's invincible… and I almost give up." Naruto smiled. "Until I remember what I'm fighting for."

Yoruichi blinked.

"I'm fighting all for you. You're my overdrive, my everything. I know pain and how it hurts so much. I was lonely when I was alive, always crying on that lonely swing. Even when jiji adopted me into the Yamamoto clan, that void still live with me. That void is so painful, filled with so much contempt and hatred that Kyubi continues to live with me. Because when I hate, Kyubi grows stronger. Until you come into my life… I was just a void. You filled me. You make me stronger. I know what I'm fighting for… because you understand me… more than anybody else."

Tears started to cascade down the curvature of Yoruichi's cheeks as she grasped tightly onto Naruto's hand. "I love you so much, Naruto-kun."

"I love you too, Yo-chan."

Behind the wall of Naruto's hospital ward, a sobbing Kukaku wiped off her tears and placed the bouquet of flowers onto the floor before she ran away.

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It was a secret that Kukaku had always loved Naruto since the beginning. Ever since the clueless blonde who bumped into her on the streets, she had developed a longing crush on the alluring boy who seemed to captivate her heart. She loved him but she never admitted it to herself, until she regretted her indecisiveness. Yoruichi, her best friend, had fallen in love with the same boy that she loved and yet she didn't have the courage to tell Naruto. She admired his everything, but she never blatantly expressed it.

Seating quietly in the park, Kukaku wept into her hands. The birds chirping atop of the tree branch were a couple and they looked down upon Kukaku, as if mocking her. "Stupid birds."

It was then she sensed a familiar presence walking towards her. Tilting her head upwards, she saw Kensei smiling at her. "Good evening."

Immediately, Kukaku turned away and wiped the tear marks away from her flustered cheeks. "G-Good evening. What are you doing here?"

"I can ask you the same thing." Kensei raised a brow. "Mind if I seat beside you?"

"Sure. Go ahead. No one's stopping you. Ain't my property either."

The silver haired shinigami smirked and settled himself comfortably down on the grass patch and sprawled his legs outwards. "Ah! The moon is pretty big. Gotta wonder, how in the hell does Soul Society have a moon? I mean, it's a realm right? No?"

Kukaku giggled. "Dumbass. It's a realm, alright. But the world of the living is considered a realm as well. I don't see why can't Soul Society have a moon."

"…I check on Naruto just now. He's doing well. The nurse says he's going to get discharged tomorrow morning."

The Shiba princess nodded solemnly.

Kensei sighed and stood up. "Wait a sec."

Blinking dumbly and unsure of the imminent, Kukaku stared at her feet lifelessly.

Suddenly, a panda walked in a bipedal locomotion towards the Shiba princess and waved cheerfully. Kukaku couldn't help herself but to guffaw hysterically when she realised that the panda was, in actuality, a man in a panda suit and she knew who's in it. The panda man held a bunch of white lilies in his folded paws and handed it towards Kukaku. The panda eyed the Shiba princess and switched his sights at the flower, as if ushering her to accept it.

Giggling delightfully, Kukaku took it appreciatively and sniffed it tenderly. "How do you know I love white lilies?"

The panda sat beside Kukaku and merely gave a thumb-up at her.

The Shiba princess chortled aloud and her laughter gradually diminished into forced chuckles and her vigour evaporated as she started to collapse into tears. The next thing she knew, she was crying into the panda's embrace.

Taking off the panda helmet, Kensei sighed as he patted Kukaku's back soothingly. "Just let it out."

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(A few days later…)

The sun's glorious ray of light shined through the curtains and Naruto was awaken. Yoruichi was sleeping atop of him, naked. The blonde sighed as he pulled the bed sheet over his wife's frame before he checked the alarm clock. "Damn, it's 11.30 already?"

"Hmm… yes baby." Yoruichi giggled as she opened her amber coloured eyes and they scintillated a puckish glow. She leaned forward and kissed her husband's lips affectionately.

Breaking the kiss, Naruto smiled. "And it's time to get up."

"Umm! I don't want to get up. Let's continue where we stop last night, shall we?" Yoruichi giggled as her husband feigned horror. "Oh, honey, I can't do this anymore!"

"You know you want to!" Without hesitation, the Shihouin matriarch pounced onto the blonde.

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(A few hours later…)

The moment when Naruto's form animated in a static blur at the gateway of his barracks, he was greeted by the entire soldiers in his division. Byakuya stood forward and deadpanned. "I see that you're not dead yet, taichou. Welcome back. And you're 5 hours late."

"Shut up, Byakuya." The blonde muttered with annoyance. "I'm the taichou here, I'm never late. And thank you, by the way."

Gin chuckled evilly as he teased. "Good afternoon, taichou. How's your morning with Shihouin taichou?"

Naruto blinked rapidly and blushed. "Uh! It's none of your business!"

"Really? I'm sure you indulge yourself every morning in steamy hot sex-"

The blonde wacked his silver haired subordinate's head and yelled. "Shut your trap, idiot! I told you not to barge into my se- Uh! M-My life! Yes! Stop barging into my life!"

"Your embarrassment, unkempt hair, untidy robe suggest hastiness. And there's a lipstick mark on your face." Gin's impish grin widened as he pointed out. Naruto blinked before he tried to wipe the love stain on his cheek while staring with enraged daggers at Gin. "I'm gonna kill you someday."

"Perhaps so, taichou. We'll see when that day comes!"

"Welcome back, taichou!" The other members of the 10th division announced in unison.

Naruto sighed as a smile tugged at his lips. "Thanks. Good job for preserving the pride and integrity of squad ten, guys! Tonight's feast is my treat!"

The entire squad ten cheered.

"Gin, follow me." The blonde beckoned the silver haired shinigami; Rangiku simply snickered at her boyfriend's predicament. "You're dead meat, Gin."

Gin simply winked at the strawberry blonde. "We'll see, babe."

Instantly, Naruto and Gin vanished in a swirl of miniature whirlwinds.

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"Gin, I'm sure you know what this is about." Naruto retained a serious demeanour as the tone of his speech was gravely sombre.

All the boisterous and mischievous façade were cleansed off from Gin's face. "I am aware of it. It's about that espionage mission, am I right?"

"Yes. It is time to commence operation." Naruto rested his chin on the base of his palm. "I understand if you can't do it though. Being an undercover spy is an arduous task. I'm not forcing you to take it. I have given you a month to think about it. You must know that if you choose yes, you might have to give up almost everything. There is a possibility that you might… break Rangi-chan's heart. Of course, nobody wants that but…"

Gin looked down at his feet and sighed. "I'll do it."

"Are you sure, Gin?"

"Yes. Ran-chan is important to me… she's practically the reason why I want to become a shinigami. To protect her and create a world where she won't cry… but this mission determines the fate of Soul Society. I don't want this mission to fall in her hands, and I know it will be eventually. And Bya-Bya has that stick up his ass, he can't do shit."

Naruto grimaced. "You're too perceptive, Gin. That's why you're the best candidate in this mission."

"I won't sacrifice her life for it. I'll do it."

The blonde sighed. "Then remember this, if you feel your life is threatened, immediately leave your post and come back to me. Do you understand?"

"Understood, taichou."

"Remember, Aizen ain't no weakling. He might be a lieutenant in rank, but his strength is that of a captain. Earn his trust no matter what. Use any means necessary to do it."

Gin saluted in formality at his captain. "Yes, sir."

"And Gin, word of advice… don't forget who you are." Naruto narrowed his eyes. "You are always one of us, understand?"

"I know." The silver haired shinigami grinned.

"From tomorrow onwards, you'll be transferred to the fifth division. Remember to note down-"

"Every event that occur in my mission every day." Gin finished for his captain. "You're too busybody for your own good, taichou."

"Shut up and leave." Naruto smirked and watched as his silver haired subordinate chuckled delightfully before he skipped out of the chamber.

"That kid is full of nonsense but… he has a great heart." The blonde sighed. "I'm sorry, Rangi-chan…"

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That night, Rangiku cuddled warmly with Gin as they sat on the mat under the shimmering stars, gazing upon the soporific glow of the moon. Gin sighed as he broke the silence. "Ran-chan, can you answer me a question?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"What will you do if I betray Soul Society one day?" Gin asked; there was no humour in his attitude.

Rangiku was confused. "I… I will be upset. Why? Why do you ask this kind of question? Are you intending to betray us? Betray… me?"

"No…"

Somehow, Rangiku felt Gin's response to be unconvincing.

She was deeply worried.

And that is the beginning of their bittersweet romance.

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Yes! This chapter is finish. The canon era is ariving soon.

Kyubi's arc is over too. Here comes... Aizen!

Next episode, Aizen strikes back!

Lol, I see some chemistry going on with Kensei and Kukaku. Heh. Will the blossom into couples? No idea. I'll see about that. It will be nice if you would like to share your opinion with me.

Please review!

(p.s: I know I'm unyouthful for updating a short chapter. I will write a long youthful chapter next time! I will let my flames of youth burn brighter! The springtime of youth burns within me! Yosh!)


	16. Turn back the Pendulum Swings

**~ Chapter 16: Turn back the Pendulum Swing ~**

Naruto was bedridden, albeit begrudgingly. Being the protective mother Retsu was, the blonde had no choice but to remain in bed, spending most of his time staring at the ceiling or drooling at the nurses; he had to admit that Isane had matured, both mentally and physically. Retsu had performed thorough checks over her foster son's body, delivering various scans and confirmed that Kyubi's presence was completely nullified. There was not even a speck of trace of the menacing aura that Kyubi possessed infecting Naruto's body.

He was cured.

Retsu was so happy that she had almost hugged Naruto to death.

When the door creak opened, Naruto beamed but deflated at the sight of Retsu. "Hello, dear child. How are you feeling today?"

"Great! Awesome as ever. Can I go now?"

Wagging a finger disapprovingly at Naruto, the captain of fourth squad widened her cheerful smile. "Uh, uh, uh. It is not your time yet, Naru-chan. You must stay here for a while."

"I got tons of things to do, kaa-chan!"

Retsu was delighted by what Naruto had started to address her; she could never get used to being a mother. "Flattery will not get you anywhere. Be good and stay in the hospital or I'll make you stay longer, impatient youngling."

Naruto deadpanned before he erupted into childish whines. "I want to leave! I want, I want, I want! I ain't staying here anymore and you ain't stopping me!"

"Whine if you may but it will lead you nowhere. Now be a good boy and be… good as it is, okay?" For unknown reasons, Retsu's eyes were glowing off an ominous crimson. "Be good, **okay**?"

Naruto swallowed hard and nodded automatically.

"That's a good boy." Retsu smiled and left the chamber.

The blonde sighed and stared at his uniform that was hanged on the hanger.

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Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni was tending to his paperwork in his office. He was pleased about his grandson's progress and was proud of the blonde's feat in defeating the indomitable demon. A squall of wind invaded his chamber and Genryusai arched a brow. "I thought you're being forced to stay in Unohana taichou's medical ward? Last I heard, she has placed the highest security on your room. Why are you here, boy?"

Naruto chuckled as he sat on the couch, pouring himself a cup of tea. "You think anybody can stop me? No offense, jiji."

"Cocky now, aren't you?" The aged captain sighed. "Foolishness. Your arrogant will one day be your downfall, boy."

"Well, it seems I'm still living and kicking. I'll do good." Naruto sighed as he took a sip from his warm beverage before placing the cup back on the saucer. "I'm here to talk business with you."

With a swipe of his hand, the entire office was encased with a translucent barrier. Genryusai inspected the magic spell that prevented sounds from emanating outside of the room in his seat and sighed. "What is it? I supposed it is something classified."

"Yes. There is something wrong with the fifth squad barracks."

"Fifth squad? You mean your best buddy, Hirako taichou?"

"Not him. His lieutenant." Naruto narrowed his eyes as he eyed his tea solemnly. "He has similar spiritual pressure as mine, jiji. Even more potent than mine I might say. But why is he stuck being a fuku-taichou when he has the strength of a taichou? That makes absolutely no sense. He is hiding his own agenda, jiji. And it isn't some sunshine and flowers the dude is planning to do. I can see through the mask he is constantly wearing. That good-natured smile is but phony. He is planning something big."

"Do you have any evidences?"

"I… I'm still finding-"

"I can't do anything without solid evidences." The aged captain sighed. "Meeting adjo-"

"But-"

"Meeting adjourned!"

Naruto clenched his fists. "Fine. You want evidences? I'll get it for you."

Within split seconds, the blonde dissipated into a torrent of violent wind.

Somewhat, Genryusai didn't like what this was going. The aged captain dispelled the magic barrier and continued his work.

A few minutes later, Retsu, who was emitting an unpleasant aura, materialised before Genryusai. "By any chance, sotaichou-dono, did Naru-chan come here?"

The aged captain nodded grimly.

The captain of the fourth squad's smile faded and her spiritual pressure erupted.  
_  
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Jushiro coughed heatedly, pounding his chest as he had suffered another relapse. Reaching out for the bottle of pills on his side table, the white haired captain tried to get it with a shaky hand, but the distance was considerably far and his violent coughing had exacerbated. A gust of breeze blew into Jushiro's bedroom and a familiar entity snatched the bottle before handing it to the white haired captain. Popping the medical pills into his mouth, Jushiro grabbed the cup of water beside him and took a long gulp.

"You should really go get yourself a lieutenant, sensei." Naruto sighed as he patted his mentor's back.

Jushiro sighed as he placed the cup on the side-table. "You know it's not easy to find a competent lieutenant nowadays. And to get a compassionate one who cares dearly for his squad members is not easy. I've been searching…"

"Kaien, right?"

"Yeah. He is a prodigy, but stubborn. I know if I meet him every week, he'll open up to me." Jushiro coughed.

"Get some rest, sensei. I'll meet Kaien for you. He's Ku-chan's brother. I'm sure he'll agree." The blonde beamed.

"Thank you very much, Naruto." Jushiro smiled. "So, I've heard your battle with Kyubi. I see that it is a victory."

"You bet it is." Shuffling the chess pieces on the table, Naruto grinned. "What do you say, sensei? It has been a while since we last battle out!"

The white haired captain chuckled. "Yes, it has been a while."

Naruto sighed. "You know kaa-chan cares about you, right?"

"By kaa-chan, do you mean Retsu-sempai?"

"Ya."

Jushiro laughed. "Of course she cares about me. She's my doctor."

Waving his hands disapprovingly, Naruto widened his smirk. "Not that kind of care. You know… I think kaa-chan has feelings for you."

His mentor choked upon recognition and coughed. "N-Naruto! You shouldn't joke about these things."

"I'm not." Naruto readied the chessboard and moved a piece forward. "I mean real stuff. She likes you, you know? Ever since how a certain coolie saves a damsel in distress, and even got mortally injured during the incident, I'm sure any girls will fall for you."

Jushiro blushed. "S-So you know, huh? I can't believe my pupil is teasing me on this kind of things."

"You ain't young, sensei. It's time you find yourself a good woman who can take care of you. Look at me. I'm retired and still kicking great." Naruto gave a thumbs-up at the white haired captain. "Kaa-chan is a great woman, even though she gets… violent sometimes."

Avoiding his pupil's gazes, Jushiro moved his chess piece. "This is adult matters. D-Don't get involve with it, Naruto."

"Look at you, sensei. All fluster up! I think I hit jackpot." Naruto pointed an accusing finger at his mentor. "You like kaa-chan, don't you?"

"N-No way! T-That's not true. How can I ever be… in love with Retsu-sempai. I'm sick and unworthy of her love-"

"Blah, blah, blah. Say what you want but you just enter into the love game, sensei. Keep up the good work-" Naruto perked his head up and sniffed the air. Suddenly, the blonde's pleasant feature was replaced with horror. "Oh crap! Looks like she found me. Gotta go!"

"B-But you just arrived-" Jushiro sighed as his reckless pupil vanished into thin air, literally. Momentarily, a sonic resonance invaded her chamber and Jushiro flushed a deep red at a panting Retsu. "J-Jushiro-kun, did you see that naughty rascal?"

"He just took off." Recalling Naruto's words, Jushiro swallowed hard and quickly poured a cup of tea for Retsu. "P-Please, have a seat. You look exhausted from all those chasing."

"Yes." The dark haired captain smiled and sat on the mat. "Thank you."

"Naruto is indeed a prodigy that comes every millennium. Nobody has ever tried to catch him and… succeed."

Retsu chuckled. "A hyperactive child, that boy is."

An awkward silence intruded.

Making conversation, the captain of fourth squad took a casual sip from her tea and smiled uneasily. "So, how are you?"

"Just the same old problems."

The couple shared a few laughs in their conversation; Retsu had forgotten about Naruto in the process.

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"Hey! Kaien! Get your ass over here!"

Naruto tapped onto the ground impatiently at the Shiba compound. He was surprised to see Kensei walking out of the complex.

"Kensei?"

The silver haired shinigami stared at the blonde furiously and grasped his shoulder. "We need to talk."

The two captains morphed into air streams, leaving the Shibi compound swiftly.

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"Hey? What's up? Why bring me to Rukongai?"

Unexpectedly, Kensei threw a punch at Naruto's face, knocking the blonde onto the ground.

"Ouch! That hurt! What the hell man?" The blonde was startled by the eerie aura Kensei was emitting. The silver haired shinigami seized Naruto's collar and yelled. "Do you like Kukaku? Do you love her? Answer me!"

"W-What are you talking about? I love Ku-chan! She's like a sister to me."

"That's it?" Kensei shook Naruto fiercely. "She loves you, damn it! At the very least, you should tell her how you feel? She's suffering the torment while you're all happy and silly with Yoruichi! If you like her then marry her! Don't leave her hanging like that, you scum!"

"What are you talking about?" The blonde pushed the silver haired shinigami away. "Stop joking around. Ku-chan will never fall in love with someone-"

"You fool!" Kensei punched Naruto in the face brutally and the blonde soared away from his assailant. "Kukaku loves you so much! She has done so much for you, you ignorant dick!"

"Heh." Naruto grinned as he wiped off the blood at the edge of his lips. "Then what do you want me to do? Marry someone I don't love? Then both of us won't be happy!"

"Shut up!" Kensei marched towards his best friend and readied a punch, only to halt when Naruto shouted. "You love Ku-chan, don't you?"

The silver haired shinigami's fist stopped barely inches away from the blonde's nose. His hand was trembling and his frame was quavering. Naruto stood up and dusted his pants. "I won't betray Yo-chan. And I won't hurt Ku-chan too. If I marry Ku-chan, Yo-chan and Ku-chan will become enemies. Nobody will be happy."

"So you choose to let Kukaku suffer for your own selfish greed?" Kensei growled with sheer umbrage.

"If you love her then marry her yourself!" Naruto grabbed the silver haired shinigami's haori and bellowed. "If you love her, win her heart yourself! I can't give her happiness. You know that! Everybody knows that. I'm faithful to Yo-chan and only Yo-chan. No one else. Ku-chan is beautiful and strong, but I don't deserve her. I already have Yo-chan. I'm satisfied. Ku-chan needs someone better than me. Someone like you who can give her everything she wants."

"She… she only likes you. She only loves you, damn it!"

"Stop being a coward! You're the taichou of the ninth squad, Muguruma Kensei! You're stronger than this! Why are you hiding your feelings when you clearly love her?"

"I…" Kensei gritted his teeth. "She loves you! She only loves you!"

"Then do you love her?"

"I love her more than you know."

"Then that settles it." Naruto turned his attention to his right and smiled at a shivering Kukaku who was hiding behind a tree. Ambling laxly towards the Shiba princess, Naruto grabbed her wrist gently and brought her towards a blushing Kensei. The blonde took her best friend's fingers and interlocked them with Kukaku's. "Get to know each other better, Kensei. This time, no hiding anything anymore. One time opportunity. Don't waste it."

The blonde disappeared, leaving his former spot a miniature whirlwind.

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Yoruichi was toying with her shuriken while Soifon was fanning her with a gigantic peacock feather. "How is Naruto-sensei, Yoruichi-sama?"

"Hmm? He's fine." The Shihouin matriarch giggled at certain memories, much to Soifon's displease.

"I still think Naruto-sensei doesn't deserve someone like you, Yoruichi-sama."

Munching an apricot, Yoruichi arched a brow. "Why not?"

"First of all, Naruto-sensei lacks manners. And he has an unorthodox way of teaching students. And he's lazy. He doesn't honour the dress code properly and only wears his haori whenever he's pleased. He isn't puncture at meetings and he's nonchalant and important things." The dark haired shinigami punch her palm and narrowed her eyes. "Yoruichi-sama, you should be looking for a husband who is competent as a fighter, polite when the situation desires and respectful to you."

"Well…" Yoruichi tapped her chin. "Naruto is the strongest shinigami in Soul Society, second only to grandfather-in-law. He is polite at ceremonies and he is more than respectful to me. He loves me."

"But-"

"Still badmouthing me behind my back, I see?" Naruto grasped onto Soifon's shoulder, earning him a loud yelp from the frightened girl. Soifon twirled around and glared lividly at her mentor. "You! How many times did I tell you not to scare me like that, Naruto-sensei?"

"214 times. I'm training you to master the art of detection, you ungrateful girl." The blonde crossed his arms and huffed.

"Yes, thank you, Naruto-sensei." Soifon remarked sarcastically.

"Right. Now scram, little bee. The incompetent me is going to be rude to my wife, so stay away from us." Naruto grinned.

"I won't let you-"

"Soifon!" Yoruichi bellowed, catching her subordinate's attention. The petite girl bowed remorsefully at her master, stood up, glared at the snickering blonde and left.

Naruto chuckled and rested his head onto the Shihouin matriarch's laps. "That girl has some serious issues."

"I'll say, Soifon likes you." Yoruichi smirked. "Amongst so many taichou, she only shows disrespect towards you only. Isn't that funny?"

"Funny? Are you serious? You mean someone who hates me is having a dirty little crush on me? Oh my god." Naruto clutched onto his chest melodramatically. "I think all the hollows in Hueco Mundo are secretly plotting to have my children."

Yoruichi giggled. "Yes they are. I'm going to throw you into… what's with your bruises?"

Solicitude was displayed in the Shihouin matriarch's concerned features as she examined the redness at the edge of Naruto's lips. "What's this? You rarely get injured. What happen?"

"It's nothing." Naruto shrugged.

Yoruichi was unconvinced. "It means something you're not telling."

"…" The blonde hesitated but conceded. "I found out that Ku-chan likes me…"

The Shihouin matriarch blinked rapidly. "W-What? Kukaku?"

"Kensei told me…"

"What did you say to him?"

Naruto sighed. "I say…"

The suspense was intriguing and Yoruichi hated her husband's mind games. "Just spill it!"

The blonde chuckled jubilantly. "I told him I can't marry Ku-chan. She's just a sister to me. I know Kensei likes Ku-chan… so I play matchmaker."

Yoruichi sighed. "Will you marry Kukaku if the Shiba clan demands it?"

"Nope." Naruto answered truthfully. "I've a wife and that's more than enough to shorten my life spam. I don't need a second one."

The Shihouin matriarch hit her husband's chest playfully. "You're a meanie."

"You know you like that." Naruto grinned. "Still remember our wedding day?"

"How could I not?"

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(20 years ago…)

Almost every member of Seireitei was invited to the grand wedding between Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto and Shihouin Yoruichi. Their marriage was a fantasy turned to reality, since the Yamamoto clan and the Shihouin clan were nemesis for centuries. Some even speculated that their wedding was that of royalty, and the crown prince of the Yamamoto clan was forced to marry the crown princess of the Shihouin clan. In contrary, the truth was not that of corrupted schemes.

The groom was wearing a white tuxedo, attending to his guests. When Naruto spotted a familiar blonde, he marched forward and draped a hand over his shoulders. "Yo, Shinji! Glad that you're here."

"How could I not?" Shinji smirked. "I brought my entire division with me. You really know how to throw a party, don't you?"

"Yeah, get all comfy. Hey! Ku-chan! Over here!" The blonde strolled towards a moody Kukaku who was fuming at something. "Ku-chan, I'm glad that you come."

Kukaku twirled her head vehemently away from the blonde and stormed away, much to the blonde's confusion. Kaien and a young Ganju felt sorry for their heartbroken sister.

"What's wrong with her, Kaien?"

"Nothing. Just enjoy your wedding. Congratulation, dude. You finally tie the knot." Kaien patted Naruto on his shoulder. "Treat the girl well. She might act tough, but all girls are vulnerable on the inside. I have a wife. I know."

Miyako, wife of Kaien, nudged her husband's arm and glared. "You know nothing. Now, Naruto-dono, whenever your wife says no to you, it's most likely a yes. So try to understand her more. Don't be a dunce like this guy over here."

Kaien feigned surprise. "Me? Dunce? Nah. You got it wrong. We'll make it right tonight."

Naruto chuckled. "Thanks for the advice. Enjoy yourself, alright?"

"Yeah." Kaien and Miyako bowed, along with Ganju before they went to participate the party.

Soifon was grumpy as she sat on a chair, glaring at a cheerful Naruto chatting with his guests. The girl felt her anger unbearable and walked towards the groom. Sensing Soifon's approaching, Naruto spun around and met an exasperating Soifon. "Yes? How can I help you, my lovely student?"

"Protect and take care of Yoruichi-sama, Naruto-sensei! I won't forgive you if anything happens to her!"

Naruto smiled. "You don't need to tell me that. Now go get yourself some honey juice. It's right over there."

Soifon pouted and went to grab her favourite drink.

Kyoraku and Ukitake appeared to the ceremony and cheered. "Naruto-bozu! Yo! Over here."

The blonde waved optimistically at his surrogate uncle and mentor before rushing to their spot. "Hey. How's it going? Hey, Ukitake-sensei, thanks for coming, despite your illness. I'm really grateful."

"It's my pupil's wedding. It's only natural that I need to attend your wedding." Jushiro smiled.

Kyoraku simply elbowed Naruto teasingly. "Getting yourself married with the hottest babe in Soul Society? You're one lucky bastard, Naruto-bozu."

"Yeah, so no more eyeing her up, ero-jiji."

Ukitake laughed.

The auspicious time had arrived and Naruto was standing at the end of the red carpet, waiting for the door to be opened and welcoming his bride. Everybody was silenced as traditional compelled them to do so. When the door finally opened, the blonde's heart was racing vigorously. Curling a hand around Genryusai's arm, Yoruichi was dressed in an exquisite wedding gown with extravagant designs imprinted on the white fabric.

For once, Yoruichi was smiling nervously.

Naruto was wiping the sweats away from his forehead and smirked as he watched his angel walking gracefully towards him. Every step Yoruichi took caused the blonde's heart to beat even faster; the bride was no better. She felt extremely nervous; hell, she just wished to run away from the crowd and not get herself married. Retsu had encouraged Yoruichi when the Shihouin matriarch was preparing her makeup. It was only natural that she felt anxious at her wedding when she was the centre of attention.

When she stood before her groom, her hand was shaking.

Genryusai smiled at her grandson. "Take great care of her. She is now Yamamoto Uzumaki Shihouin Yoruichi. She is one of us now."

Naruto nodded and took his bride's hand, calming her down effectively as he whispered soothingly into her ears. "I love you."

Yoruichi blushed and they stared at their wedding priest, who happened to be Retsu. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here to witness this wedding ceremony, and in the face of this company, to join this man and this woman in their holy matrimony. It is a mystical union between both clans and its beatific resolution is enchanting as it is. And as the Yamamoto clan and the Shihouin clan seek peace, Soul Society prospers."

The bride was grasping her groom's hand tight with her gloved fingers.

She was anxious.

Retsu smiled at the blonde. "Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together in harmony in this holy state of matrimony and for the rest of eternity? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?"

Naruto looked at Yoruichi and smiled. "I will."

Retsu turned to the purple haired woman. "Shihouin Yoruichi, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together in harmony in this holy state of matrimony and for the rest of eternity? Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honour and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"

Yoruichi nodded. "I will."

Disappearing from her spot with a static blur, Retsu reappeared in between Naruto and Yoruichi and took their hands.

The blonde stared lovingly at his bride. "I, Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto, take thee, Shihouin Yoruichi, as my wedded wife. To have and to hold from today onwards, through better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."

Yoruichi smiled. "I, Shihouin Yoruichi, take thee, Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto, as my wedded husband. To have and to hold from today onwards, through better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."

Retsu handed a twenty carat ring, with had Yoruichi's name embedded within the curvature of it, to Naruto. "She is a good woman. Take care of her, Naru-chan."

The blonde smirked and hoisted his bride's wrist gently before slipping the ring onto her fourth finger.

Kyoraku took the chance and yelled. "Kiss the bride, baby!"

Naruto chuckled but was startled when Yoruichi jumped onto him, landing a passionate kiss onto his lips.

The entire audience applauded fervently.  
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(Present…)

"You're a great kisser. Too rough for my taste though." Naruto grinned impishly. Yoruichi pinched her husband's hand and pouted. "What do you mean by that, jerk?"

"I mean… I love a rough kisser."

"I'll show you a rough kisser."

Yoruichi leaned down and captured her husband's lip sultrily, moaning in pleasure as Naruto's tongue lingered within her mouth cavity.

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(60 years later…)

_"Always remember this, Byakuya, your subordinates are your children. They will follow you even to the depths of hell… as long as you care for them. If you can't protect your family, your friends or even your loved ones, you don't deserve to wield your blade. Your purpose is gone. That blade that you wield will be dull."_

_"Never forget my teaching, Gin. Never feel fear when you step into the battlefield. Be patient. Never flaunts. Be subtle. Never let your enemy knows your depth and protects those you wish to protect. Make me proud, Gin. You might no longer be the third seat of the tenth division but… you'll always be my student."_

_"Toshiro, as the youngest of my students and the brightest of all, you must always hold this key in heart. Don't be impatient. Stay cool at all situations, no matter how dire it is. Don't be arrogant, because it will be your downfall, mark my words. As long as you remain calm at all times, you'll never let your loved ones down."_

_"Rangi-chan, you're the laziest amongst my apprentices but the one who holds tremendous potential as well. Cut down the slack and do some paperwork, damn it! And don't forget; never let your emotions cloud your judgment, especially in battle. And get stronger. Don't let others protect you. Protect them with your own strength."_

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Soul Society had been peaceful for a while but hollows had been invading frequently in Rukongai. It was troubling since hollows rarely caused ruckus within the realm of the Shinigami. There were reports that the hollows did not come from Hueco Mundo. Instead, they were spawning mysteriously at Soul Society. Initially, Seireitei paid no mind to the incidence but Naruto was concern. He warranted an investigation with his squad but there were no solid evidences.

Gin had successfully transferred to the fifth squad and served under Shinji. He had reported every event that occurred in his daily life in a notebook stored within his chamber, detailing Aizen's activities. Rangiku visited her fiancé often, demanding to know the silver haired shinigami's resignation. She assumed it was Byakuya's influence or her captain's arduous training but Gin maintained that smiles that never faded.

Toshiro's strength had grown tremendously to the extremity that soldiers within the tenth division believed that he was the prodigy that arrived into Soul Society every century and successor of Naruto's rank.

Byakuya, training under his captain's tutelage, had almost achieved Bankai. He wasn't aware that his rival, Gin, was standing at his level. Ginrei, Byakuya's grandfather, had high hopes for the Kuchiki heir.

At the barrack's training field, Naruto was supervising his apprentice's training personally. His white haori was wore over his shoulders, similar to his grandfather's signature style. His opponent was Toshiro and he was serene. The white haired shinigami, however, was in a predicament. His captain was one of the most powerful shinigami in Soul Society and though being his teacher was an honour, he was terrified of the blonde's strength.

Naruto had never been serious in any of his trainings. He never resorted to use his zanpakuto and relied only on kido and agility throughout the session.

Toshiro didn't hesitate in battles. He swung his blade with flaming vigour at his captain.

The audience of the tenth squad was flabbergasted.

Naruto had stopped the attack with his bare hand as he seized the approaching blade, halting Toshiro's momentum abruptly. A shockwave erupted behind Naruto's feet simultaneously while he stared stoically at his apprentice. "If I am your enemy, you will be dead by now. Lesson over. Go clean yourself up. "

Scratching his head, Toshiro sighed and sheathed his blade. "Understood."

Byakuya stood impassively at the sideline. "Taichou, you've been training Hitsugaya-san exclusively. Other squad members are speculating about favouritism."

The blonde huffed. "Toshiro has the talent to become more powerful. Rangi-chan is too lazy to participate in training and you don't need any of my help. The other members can request more training but nobody comes to me. Only Toshiro does. What else do you want me to do anyway?"

Byakuya deadpanned. "True. Anyway, back to the reports. Shihouin taichou is announcing a party next week and hopes every squad to join in the 'fun'."

"Party? Yo-chan never says anything about a party."

"It's recent news. You know your wife. Her talent in producing absurd demands are perturbing to say the least." The Yamamoto heir shrugged. "Kaname Tousen, former ninth seat of squad nine, has joined Muguruma taichou's personal elite squad and is promoted as the fifth seat. Shiba Kaien has decided to serve the Ukitake taichou as his lieutenant without any qualification examination. That man seems to be a prodigy. Soifon is promoted as lieutenant of the second division today. I guess that explains the party."

Naruto chuckled. "Move on."

The Kuchiki heir sighed. "A captain meeting is commencing in twenty minutes time."

"Geez, what does jiji wants?"

"Not sure."

The blonde sighed. "Alright, you're in charged. I'll be going then."

Within seconds, Naruto disappeared.

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"Good morning, Fuku-taichou."

"Good morning." Aizen smiled.

"Good morning!"

"Morning." The brunette greeted politely.

As he passed by his subordinates, he had reached his captain's chamber. "Are you all set, taichou?"

"Y-Yeah!" A voice blared from within the room. "Come on in!"

Sliding the door open, Aizen deadpanned. Shinji was staring at the ridiculous large mirror hung on his wall, trying to adjust his attire neatly. Eyeing the reflection of his lieutenant from the mirror, Shinji twirled round and kept a nonchalant façade. "What's this? Are ya wearin' normal clothes? We're going to a festival. Get funky, Sousuke."

Aizen sighed. "But, taichou, you're wearing normal clothes as well. I don't get your point."

"I'm allowed to dress like this cos I'm a captain!" The blonde straightened his coat. "That's what I do."

"I can't be the only one wearing abnormal outfit then. Besides, this isn't a festival. It's a captain meeting."

Shinji shrugged. "It's like a festival if ya get your head turn on the right side. We'll still be celebrating nevertheless. It happens every year."

"No it won't." Aizen responded monotonously.

The blonde averted his eyes away. "What a killjoy."

Registering the mesmerising noise from a strange device, Aizen queried. "What's that, taichou?"

Shinji beamed. "It's a new musical tool that plays music. New technology from the world of the living. Cool, huh? It's a gramophone playing a record. What do you think?"

"I'm not sure…"

"Then why bother picking the subject up?" Shinji was utterly impassive.

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"Open the door!" Shinji scratched his head and exhaled a breath of annoyance. "This is Hirako Shinji of the fifth squad! Open the damn door!"

The blonde was expressionless. "Damn, I hate it when we just have to participate in meetings at the first squad's barracks. Everywhere but here. It makes me nervous. That's why I don't like it when this thing comes up."

"You certainly don't look nervous. Please don't pull a tantrum just because you're irritated by the meeting. Today is different from others. It's a memorial, dedicated to the retired twelve division's Hikifune taichou. We should at least act appropriately in such situations." Aizen replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Shaddup, Sousuke." Shinji narrowed his eyes and turned his attention at his lieutenant. "Memorial or not, it is an annoyance. And you can't even see my face from here. How do you know I'm irritated?"

Aizen smiled as the gate opened silently. "The door's open. Let's go."

"Yeah, yeah, whatev- oofff!"

Shinji was struck by an unexpected cheap shot from a golden blur. A small foot slammed into the blonde's face, sending him pummelling onto the ground and rolling all the way to a wall. A young girl, dressed in a lieutenant outfit, smirked. "Hey, dickhead Shinji! Your face is especially flat today! How does it feel like to get a little taste of my shining kick? I stomp on you with happiness! Heh!"

Shinji covered his bleeding nose and screamed angrily. "Damn you, Hiyori!"

"What? I'm not going to apologise!"

"I didn't even mention anything about that!"

"That means I don't have to apologise then!" Hiyori pointed a thumb at herself smugly. However, her excitement was short-lived when a man appeared behind her and smashed a fist on her head. Aizen was startled as he didn't register the intruder's presence. "Say you're sorry, idiot. Man, you're such a bother!"

Hiyori had tears in her eyes as she nursed her wounded head and glared at her assailant. "Ya think it's okay to go around smacking other squad's fuku-taichou's head? Who do you think you are, you afro-dickhead!"

Love sighed as he stood before the impulsive Hiyori. "Your captain is not around. Someone has to make you behave."

"Quit making it sound like I'm a kid! Cos I'm not!"

"You are."

"I have no reason to apologise to him!" Hiyori pointed an enraged finger at Shinji. "Just look at him!"

Shinji, in the background, was pulling silly faces provokingly at Hiyori, who was vexed. Love rolled his eyes and pushed Hiyori into the barracks with a hand. "Yes. I get it. Whatever. Get in."

"Lemme go!"

The blonde grinned as he continued his mockery and instigation.

Aizen sighed.

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Examining all the tablets of present captains, Shinji questioned. "Is everybody here?"

"Probably." Love answered.

"The eleventh division and the tenth division are not-"

"Yeah, I'm here." Naruto materialised from behind Shinji and Love's back, astounding them in the process.

"Whoa, where did ya come from?" Wiping his sweats, Shinji was unnerved. "Stop scaring me! Damn! It happens all the time! Since graduation till now!"

The Yamamoto heir, garbed in his long-sleeves haori, smirked impishly. "Yeah, happy times, happy times. So I've heard, today is Kirio-sempai's memorial, huh? I don't see the eleventh division here. That lazy ass is probably sleeping in his squad again."

"Yeah." Shinji sighed. "What's with the eleventh anyway? Who in the right mind will create such a squad? No offense to your gramps, Naruto."

"Hey, none taken. I don't like that squad either. Too violent. And that Kenpachi Kiganjo doesn't respect his position as a captain. I wonder why he's still a taichou." Naruto scratched his temple absently.

Shinji nodded in acknowledgement as he commented in disdain. "You make a point there. A pig like him gets to become a taichou like us is really disparaging for someone of our status."

"It couldn't be help." Love imputed his two cent in. "That squad is bloodthirsty as it is. The Kenpachi has been the eleventh's taichou for generations. If you want to blame someone, blame the last Kenpachi who got killed."

"That doesn't mean he gets prerogative privileges to skip meetings. Hey, I don't like it but I still hop around all the time." Naruto retorted.

"Oh? What's this? I don't like it when I hear people speaking ill of others behind their backs." Shinji, Love and Naruto swirled their sights to their back and met a grinning Shunsui, who was accompanied by Jushiro and Lisa. The Yamamoto heir felt his brow twitched vigorously at his surrogate uncle's statement. "Say the man who gossips all the time when he's drunk. Ero-jiji, you're not the right man to say such things."

The flamboyant captain clutched his chest dramatically. "You hurt me, Naruto-bozu!"

"Pretty impressive for you to come here so early, Ero-jiji. Good job, Lisa-chan." Naruto winked at the girl and raised a thumb-up. "Feeling great to serve under our esteem Kyoraku taichou? I get to _enjoy _ero-jiji's love when I was serving him as his lieutenant."

"I feel your pain, thank you." Lisa growled. "I have to drag his ass here all the way from our barracks."

Shunsui gulped. "You don't need to say that, Lisa-chan."

"How're you feeling today, sensei?" Naruto smiled at his white haired mentor, who returned a blissful greeting at the blonde.

"I'm feeling great." Jushiro hid his fluster. "Retsu-sempai has done her regular check-up on me."

"Good to know!" Naruto smirked.

Jushiro glanced at the tablet attached onto the wall and sighed. "Looks like Hikifune isn't around anymore."

"She's with her new group now." Shunsui nodded solemnly.

Naruto led the rest of his fellow captains into the hallway and they strolled towards their designated destination. During their trip, the white haired captain stroked his chin and pondered. "It's not like we're in a crisis or anything. She should have taken it in a slower pace."

Shinji was unemotional as he interjected. "But ya know, we've been switchin' out captains one after another. If this goes on, I'm not going to remember the new faces any longer. Our good friend, Rose, just got promoted as the third squad's taichou a few years ago. Sure we do party afterwards but hey, it doesn't change the point."

"We're all working hard to fulfil our promises." Naruto replied. "I was the first to get promoted during our generation. Then you, Yo-chan and Kensei. Then Rose. I wonder who is next."

Meanwhile, Rose sneezed.

"So it comes down to the twelfth now." Shinji scratched his nose. "Are we going to be okay like this?"

"Relax." Shunsui clutched onto his bamboo hat and raised his head. "Everything has to change sooner or later. That's how the world works. This is just one of those times. Come to think of it, there are only a few captains who manage to stay in their positions for over a century. There's me, Ukitake and Yama-ji. Right, Ukitake?"

"You have forgotten Retsu-sempai." Jushiro reminded his friend.

Shunsui chuckled. "Yeah, that's right. She'll be pissed, no doubt, if she knows about that. She's one scary woman, that Hana-chan."

"What's so scary about me, Kyoraku taichou?"

Jushiro and Shunsui stiffened upon recognising the voice that intruded from behind them. The flamboyant captain blinked while improvising excuses. "Uh… no! Nothing. We're just saying that the weather is so nice today that it's almost scary."

Naruto materialised his frame beside his surrogate mother and threw an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, mom. Nothing is going on. Just that ero-jiji has forgotten about you being a taichou for more than a hundred years."

Shunsui swallowed hard and muttered incoherently. "Brat!"

Retsu smiled sweetly at the flamboyant captain. "I'm sure that's not true, right? Kyoraku taichou?"

"No! Definitely not!" Shunsui chuckled nervously with the white haired captain while sending glares at a certain traitorous blonde.

Lisa sighed as she watched the commotion unfolded before her. "My captain is such a dork.

"The third division's former captain decided for a retirement and the twelfth division's captain was promoted. At the very least, both of them didn't neglect their duties. It's wonderful that it's so peaceful, don't you think, Naru-chan?" Naruto agreed and toyed with his golden locks. "After the rebellion's war, everything has settled down. As for now, I'm planning for retirement too. Soul Society doesn't need someone like me now."

"Hey, hey." Shunsui interjected. "You're the Kirafurasshu. The youngling in the academy adores you-"

"Promoted?" Aizen took a step forward. "How?"

"Sousuke!" Shinji reprimanded at his subordinate's rudeness. Naruto simply glared vigilantly at the brunette.

"My apologies." Aizen bowed. "I've overheard your conversation and…"

"It's alright. What do you want to know?" The flamboyant captain smiled benevolently.

"We, fuku-taichou, haven't been told anything about a promotion a captain can attain. I assume it's the rank of the sotaichou but that's not possible, since Yamamoto-sama is the only person qualified for that rank. I-Is it true that the memorial is about Hikifune-taichou's promotion?"

"That's right." Kyoraku answered.

Naruto crossed his hands diverted his eyes at his cheerful mother.

"From my limited information, a captain gets promoted to the Central 46. However… I've never recalled any captains in Soul Society's history to ever being promoted to Central 46 yet. So…"

"It's not Central 46." Shunsui turned around and smirked. "She has entered the ranks of the Royal Guard, the zero division."

Aizen widened his eyes in shock. "Royal guard? No way!"

"The only person who has received invitation for the Royal guards here…" The flamboyant captain switched his sight at a quiet Naruto, who was leaning against a wall. "Is Naruto-bozu. He has received more than three invitations since he's more than qualified to join them. But he declines it for his wife's sake."

Aizen, and most of the people, except Retsu and Jushiro, gasped.

"Hey, dude, you didn't tell me this shit." Shinji arched a brow.

Naruto smirked. "You didn't ask."

"What's all this? Can I get through please?"

The captains and vice-captains redirected their attentions to their back and met Kuchiki Ginrei, captain of the sixth division and Yamamoto Uzumaki Shihouin Yoruichi, captain of the second division standing before them. Yoruichi strolled to her husband's side and interlocked their fingers together. "What are you guys talking about?"

Naruto chuckled. "Nothing really."

Ginrei stood in front of the Yamamoto heir and affirmed. "You're taking care of my grandson, are you not?"

"No, I'm not." The blonde shrugged. "He can take care of himself."

"Good to hear." The Kuchiki patriarch smiled. "Let him climb the ladder himself. Don't pamper him."

"I know. Have some faith on me will you, Rei-jiji"

Ginrei chortled. "It's because I trust you that's why I hand Byakuya's life into your hand. Nurture him well. I'm counting on you to take care of that boy, Naruto."

"I will." Naruto grasped Yoruichi's hand lovingly and smirked. "Congratulation, by the way."

"Not me you should be congratulating about." The Shihouin matriarch grinned. "Let's go."

Shinji cocked a perplexed brow. _"Congratulation? What's with that"_

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_(A day ago…)

Kisuke had arrived into the ceremony hall. When he entered, he was greeted by five captains seating formally before him. Situated in the middle of the seats was the captain commander, who was scrutinising the candidate's physique keenly. "I, Urahara Kisuke, have arrived to attend this meeting."

The blonde bowed graciously at his superiors. It consisted of the senior captains.

"In the face of the sixth division captain, Kuchiki Ginrei, fourth division captain, Unohana Retsu, tenth division captain, Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto, second division captain, Yamamoto Uzumaki Shihouin Yoruichi and the first division captain, me, you shall face your test. Now, show me if you're worthy of my granddaughter-in-law's recommendation."  
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_  
"Dude is coming." Kensei pointed a thumb behind the closing door. "The old fart said to line up and wait for him."

The captains and vice-captains positioned in their respective stations and waited patiently for the captain commander's arrival. When the gate opened, Kisuke, dressed in his new white haori, with the squad twelve's emblem imprinted proudly on the back of his coat, chuckled anxiously and scratched his head sheepishly. He was greeted by his former captain, Yoruichi, along with his friends, Rose, Shinji, Kensei and Naruto. He was unfamiliar with other captains and their lieutenants.

"Oh! Don't tell me I'm the last one to get here?"

Shinji smirked. "Dude, you made it, huh! Welcome! I thought some flake has joined the groupies. Guess I'm not so wrong about that."

Rose nodded. "And we thought you would never wear that robe, Kisuke."

The blonde laughed. "Yeah, and I stand here with all of you!"

Kensei folded his arms. "You're the last to get promoted amongst all of us in our generation, Kisuke."

"Aww, you don't need to denounce him, bitch." A snarky smirk curled up Naruto's lips.

"Free land here, jerk. I get to say whatever I want." Kensei grinned. "I'll punch the shit out of you the next time we spar, jerk. You got it coming when you pour oil in my water tank. I know it's you!"

"Shampoo and oil make good combination, no?"

Yoruichi giggled; she was her husband's accomplice as well.

Hiyori, however, glared in contempt at Kisuke.

"Uh… um… mind if I come in?" Although the newly enlisted captain recognised a few peers, he noticed the awkwardness from his stance. The other captains were all studying him and he was unsettled.

"Quit screwing around!" Yoruichi placed a hand on her curvy hip as she lectured Kisuke. "You're a captain now. Act like one. Now come in with some dignity, Kisuke."

"Calm down, Yo-chan." Naruto poked a head outside of his formation and smiled at his wife. "He's no longer your subordinate, remember?"

"Get in now!" Urahara yelped when he was struck by the tip of a cane and nursed his back. Genryusai walked into the chamber and slammed his cane onto the ground, ceasing noises. "We shall now begin the welcoming ceremony for our newest member."

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"I believe you have already heard about this. But seven days ago, Hikifune taichou from the twelfth division was ordered to relinquish her post here so that she could be promoted. As such, the same day she was promoted, we began searching for a new captain as her replacement. I've sent out notification to relay the information to all of you. The following day, Shihouin taichou from the second division nominated her third seat for the position and I had her brought him to me."

Genryusai closed his eyes. "Yesterday, I, Yamamoto Genryusai, along with four other captains, held the Captain Qualification Exam to test his worthiness of the position."

All the captains winced; the test was madness, and that was an understatement. No captains wished to participate in another examination, again.

"We determined that both his knowledge and personalities were acceptable. He deserves the title as captain. As such, former third seat of the second squad, Urahara Kisuke, is now the new captain for the twelfth squad. From today onwards, he'll be Urahara taichou and become one of us."

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Please review...


	17. I'll Doom All of You

Rant: Somebody says my previous chapter's title is a rip off from another author's story. Hello! 'Turn back the Pendulum Swings' originate from BLEACH! BLEACH DAMNIT! God! I swear there are more idiots in this world then I can count. I will advice my reviewers and readers to read with a profound knowledge of the context. Interestingly, I received a review from Paradox of the Unorthodox Spy recently about this reader who dislikes One Piece and Naruto. I would like to ask you this question: WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU READING ONE PIECE/NARUTO FANFICTION IN THE FIRST PLACE? GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!

sigh…

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**~ Chapter 17: I'll Doom All Of You ~**

"Where's Uzumaki taichou, Byakuya-tan?" Rangiku queried delightfully at her squad's lieutenant. "What's with the commotion anyway?"

Byakuya grunted with annoyance. "Didn't I instruct you not to call me that, fifth seat Matsumoto? Never mind. The 2nd division, lieutenant Soifon, is challenging taichou again."

"Aww… doesn't she get tired of this? Uzumaki taichou is clearly more powerful-"

"Powerful?" The Kuchiki heir chuckled with amusement. "I have seen the true extent of taichou's power, Matsumoto. I can only tell you this. He defines every single aspect of the word, powerful. Even if you try not to give him any chances to use his Zanpakuto, the strongest elemental type Zanpakuto, Fujin Hyogatsu, in the end that will not be adequate. Everybody has completely misunderstood Uzumaki taichou's power."

"I don't get you." Rangiku tilted her head in confusion.

Toshiro crossed his arms and intruded the conversation. "Simply put, there will never be a need for him to use his bankai. Nobody is strong enough to take him down if he unleashes it. All of Uzumaki taichou's abilities far surpassed the scope of ordinary."

"Let's not waste anymore time. The battle is going to commence soon." Byakuya vanished into a sonic resonance.

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Naruto, garbed in his white haori, smirked as Soifon readied in her battle stance. "You sure about this, Fon-chan?"

"I told you not to call me that!"

"Sure thing, Soi-chan."

The impulsive lieutenant of the 2nd division seized her blade and muttered. "Sting your enemy to death, Suzumebachi."

"Oh? Shikai? I'm scared shitless already." Naruto was awfully insouciant as a golden stinger animated its form onto the girl's wrist. "Come! Sting me to death, little girl."

"Hyah!" Soifon manifested dozens of her doppelgangers into play and smirked at her mentor. "I have finally mastered this technique, Naruto-sensei! You won't win this time."

"Bunshin? Impressive. I must say you have improved a lot, Fon-chan. However, I have already mastered that technique decades ago. After all, I'm its inventor…"

"That means nothing!" The lieutenant rushed forward and pointed her weapon at Naruto. Hoisting a hand upwards, the blonde smirked as a series of vibrant red flames were discharged violently at Soifon. "Hado no. 31: Shakkaho."

The lieutenant dodged the projectiles fluidly and appeared above her mentor with a leg braced upwards. Ferociously, Soifon brought her foot down, attempting to pummel Naruto onto the ground. The blonde didn't make any redundant movements; he simply raised a finger and intercepted Soifon's kick. The lieutenant gasped as she realised her attack was stopped by a mere finger. "W-What! That kick packs a lot of power! How…"

"Don't be foolish, Fon-chan. I only need a finger to defeat you."

Soifon growled and raised her stringer. "Your arrogance will become your downfall, Naruto-sensei!"

"We'll see." Naruto smirked. "Come. My arrogance versus your tenacity, let see who'll win."

The petite shinigami charged forward and thrusts her stinger forward. "Die!"

It happened within a second.

Naruto raised his hand and flicked Soifon's forehead with his finger. The girl soared to the other side of the building and crashed into a wall, embedding a crater through it in the process. She grunted in agony as her attacks failed once again. Shoving the debris away from her, Soifon dashed towards the blonde once more and vanished, only to reappear behind her mentor. "This is it! The Homonka is set! Nigeki Kessatsu!"

The petite shinigami pierced the butterfly crest twice and grinned triumphantly. "I win! I defeated-"

Soifon gasped as she realised what she had done. "N-No! Naruto-sensei! Why didn't you dodge? I-I killed…"

"Who do you kill, silly Soi-chan." Naruto swerved his sights at the petrified Soifon and grinned.

"B-But… no way! Death in two strikes! You cannot-"

"Have you forgotten, Soi-chan? A battle between shinigami is the test of spiritual pressure between both combatants. My spiritual pressure can easily overpower you." Naruto seized Soifon's wrist and pulled her to him. "That's why you must learn to build up your own spiritual pressure to a higher level. Or else, you'll never be able to sting me. You will never reach me, get it?"

"I…"

The blonde patted her head and smiled. "Go train a few more years and come back. Perhaps you might be stronger than your current level by then. And learn restrain, you idiot. If I'm weaker than you, I'll already be dead. And you'll be jailed for murder."

Soifon dropped her head in shame and defeat. "I'm sorry, Naruto-sensei. I'll train harder and beat you next time."

"That's my girl. Now go. Shoo. And send my regards to Yo-chan. Tell her that her prized student is an idiot."

"I hate you." The petite shinigami pouted and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

"And you guys can come out now."

Rangiku, Byakuya and Toshiro were sheepish as they popped their heads out of a nearby bush. "Hi, taichou."

"Yes. Hello." Naruto dusted his hands and sighed.

The strawberry blonde ran to her captain's side and cheered. "Great fight, taichou."

"It's one-sided. Nothing great about it." Byakuya retorted.

"Very comforting, Byakuya." Naruto rolled his eyes and walked past his subordinates. "We'll be going now. Come on. We got work to do."

"Work? Today's off-day!" Rangiku exclaimed.

Naruto ushered with an agitated tone. "We're going to Rukongai. Come."

Toshiro crossed his arms and sighed. "I hope it's not ramen day. The last time we celebrated that godforsaken day, I vomited the entire night from ramen intoxication."

The blonde huffed. "You're just weak cause you can't appreciate God's finest creation! You're a disappointment, Toshiro!"

"Whatever you say, taichou, whatever you say."

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Naruto had been ambling through the empty streets of a Rukongai district with his subordinates, searching for clues. There had been numerous reports of souls vanishing into nothingness, something that was supposedly improbable. Byakuya and Toshiro were serious about the investigation, trying to spot abnormality within their vicinity, except Rangiku who was whining about redundant jobs and her craving for wine.

"Hey! Look, taichou! There a bunch of clothes lying over there!" Rangiku pointed at an alley. Naruto followed the strawberry blonde's pointed direction and gaped upon his discovery. "Those are shinigami's attires."

Byakuya walked towards the pile of evidences and grabbed the clothes. Flipping the collar, the Kuchiki heir narrowed his eyes upon inspection. "This belongs to the ninth division."

"Kensei's squad, huh?" Naruto averted his head to the side and grinned. "Yo-chan, I didn't know you're digging on something as well."

Yoruichi materialised in a static blur beside her husband and folded her arms under her bosoms. "I've heard about it. Some of my patrol guards disappeared too. They didn't report to me for a week now. Their last destination was on these streets so I guess this is my first clue."

"I see. I guess Kensei suffers the same problem as you do."

Rangiku beamed as she saw her idol. "Yoruichi-sama! It's a pleasure seeing you here!"

Yoruichi grinned proudly and patted the strawberry blonde's head. "How are you doing, Ran-chan?"

"I'm fine."

"Shihouin taichou, we found this." Toshiro handed the shinigami's attire to his superior. "No traces of the suspects or the victims. Just… attires."

Yoruichi examined the clothes and stroked her chin. "Hmm… suspicious indeed. By the looks of it, their souls really did... turn to dust. There are no signs of struggling. Usually, people have to remove their sandals and socks but these look like the guy just teleported his body away, leaving his clothings here. I don't think that's plausible. What is your hypothesis, little Byakuya?"

The Kuchiki heir groaned at his pet name. "Don't call me that, you monster cat. And there is no hypothesis. A soul just can't vanish without a trace. It's not possible."

Naruto smacked Byakuya's head for his insolence. "She's still your superior and my wife. Respect that."

The blonde snaked an arm around his wife's curvy waist and pulled her closer to him. Yoruichi stuck her tongue at the Kuchiki heir mockingly, earning her a venting Byakuya desperately struggling to control his petty rage. "If you're not taichou's wife, I will-"

"Byakuya!" Naruto glared.

Byakuya sighed dramatically and looked away. "I apologise for my remark, Shihouin taichou."

"Good boy." Yoruichi ruffled the Kuchiki heir's hair.

Naruto sighed. "Yo-chan, go home first. I'll stay here and continue my investigation."

"But why?"

"There's something ominous here. I'll stay here and see what's going on. Toshiro, return to headquarters. Ran-chan, you'll follow Toshiro. Byakuya, go back to the squad and write a letter about our findings. If anything happens to me, send the letter to my grandfather's squadron." Naruto ordered emotionlessly.

Yoruichi furrowed her brows. "I'm staying."

The blonde grasped his wife's shoulders and smiled warmly. "You know why I want you to go home. We have no clue what is lurking here. I promise I'll come home tonight, alright?"

"You promise, hm?" The Shihouin matriarch reciprocated the smile and kissed Naruto on his lips. Byakuya and Toshiro felt revolted while Rangiku had stars blinking in her eyes. As they broke apart from their passionate kiss, Yoruichi sighed and caressed her husband's cheeks, her finger brushing Naruto's whisker marks. "Come home for dinner, okay? I'll cook your favourite tonight."

"Heh, just don't burn the kitchen down like last time." Naruto grinned as his wife pouted. "Alright, off you go."

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"When are we commencing our operation, Aizen-sama?"

"Tonight." The brunette announced.

Gin grinned. "I heard Uzumaki taichou went to Rukongai. It's the best opportunity to catch him off-guard."

"That's right, Gin. He'll send all of his subordinates away and he'll camp there. Alone. It is the best time for us to strike. Tousen, prepare the necessity. We will head down there." Aizen smirked. "He has become too much of a hindrance. Tonight, he will become my experiment."

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Retsu was delicately spraying water on her flowers with her watering can. Wiping the sweats away from her forehead, the fourth captain smiled at her work and strolled towards her bench. Reaching for her cup of tea, she was surprised when it cracked. Retsu blinked and felt her brows twitching uncontrollably. "W-What's this? This feeling…"

Clenching her haori, Retsu bit her lips. "This is the same feeling when Kyubi tried to kill Naru-chan. Why is this happening again? This is a bad omen."

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Naruto sat in her camping tent, waiting patiently for any bizarre events to occur. It was too quiet and he knew it wasn't right. The civilians had evacuated the streets and thus there wasn't supposed to be any spiritual energy lingering in the air. However, Naruto could sense a tinkle of spirit particles in the air. He had to stay to investigate in order to prevent collateral casualties. Naruto sighed; he's the only one, beside his grandfather within Seireitei, to stand up as the strongest shinigami in history.

He cannot afford anything to happen to his Yoruichi or his moronic and usually annoying subordinates.

A spiritual pressure abruptly spiked and dissipated immediately. Naruto dove out of the tent and scanned his surrounding, only to see darkness.

"W-What is thi-"

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Yoruichi hummed a joyous tune as she stirred the noodles in the pot and sniffed the pleasant aroma of her ramen. It was both Naruto and her favourite food. Ladling the broth with a spoon, the Shihouin matriarch sipped a taste from the soup and meowed happily. "Nice! It's all done! Just have to wait until Naruto-kun comes back!"

Placing the lip over the pot, Yoruichi sat on the mat, picked up her cup of tea and drank her beverage.

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Protruding through his chest was a steel blade drenched in his blood. Naruto coughed out crimson liquid from his mouth and growled. "W-Who…"

Weakly, the blonde turned his gaze behind his back and saw a familiar face, grinning sinisterly at him. Mustering his strength, Naruto managed to speak the name of his assailant. "G-Gin… Ichi…maru…"

"My apologies, Uzumaki taichou." Gin smirked as he retracted his blade and sheathed Shinsou. "What must be done must be done. You'll forgive me, won't ya?"

Collapsing into his knees, the blonde held onto his wounded chest and diverted his attention to a pair of intruders walking towards the commotion.

"Oh, isn't this a tragedy for you, Uzumaki taichou?"

Naruto glared viciously at the mastermind. "A-Aizen…"

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Kensei smiled uncomfortably as he presented a bouquet of flowers at a shivering Kukaku. "Here… t-this is for… y-you…"

"T-Thank you…" The Shiba heiress accepted the gift and smiled at the silver haired shinigami.

"A-Are you cold?" Kensei was struck in a panic frenzy and he quickly removed his captain haori before draping it over Kukaku's shoulder. "A-Are you feeling… okay now?"

Kukaku nodded and blushed. "A-Are we going to the restaurant now?"

"Y-Ya! L-Let's go!"

Kaien sighed and scratched his head, watching his younger sister walking out on a date with the captain of squad nine. "What a pair of idiots."

"You have no right calling them that, Kaien-kun." Miyako stood beside her husband and leaned her head against his shoulder. "You're worst than Muguruma taichou when we first dated."

"S-Shut up!"

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Struggling into a standing posture, Naruto sized the hilt of his blade and grunted. "What is your motive… Aizen?"

"Since you're dying, I guess it is only right for me to tell you. The breakthrough of my plan." Sousuke smirked and adjusted his glasses. "In order to seek power, one must exceed through both the level of a shinigami and a hollow. In order to do that, I require a certain material to do so. However, I can't just use myself in an experiment that has a high failure rate. That is reserved for someone like you, Uzumaki taichou."

"Bastard…" The blonde unsheathed his blade and grinned. "If you think I'll go down that easily, then you've underestimated me, Aizen fukutaichou!"

"We'll see. Tousen!"

"Understood." Kaname Tousen had readied his sword and touched the guard of his blade with his palm. "I shall end this for you, Aizen-sama. Banka-"

"Shoot him dead, Shinsou!"

Naruto was pierced by a blitz of a blade and soared towards a tree, effectively being pinned onto the bark. Reverting back his sword into its ordinary length, Gin situated his blade back into his scabbard and smirked. "That stab is to sever our ties, Uzumaki taichou."

Landing onto the ground in a loud thud, Naruto clenched his shaky fist in exasperation. "You fool… I'll kill you all…"

"Good job, Gin." Sousuke applauded and he strolled towards the fallen Naruto. "This is the end for you, Uzumaki taichou. You don't need to worry though. When my plan reaches fruition, your precious wife, Yamamotu Uzumaki Shihouin Yoruichi… shall die with you. I will make sure the both of you get a decent grave. It is the least I can do to honour someone at your calibre, Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto. With you out of the picture… Soul Society shall fall. All of your friends and family… will die with it."

"AIZEN! YOU FIEN-" A glob of white energy erupted from the left portion of Naruto's face, enveloping it in a sticky substance. "W-What… is this…"

"Ah… the hollowification process has started." Aizen grinned. "How wonderful."

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Flipping over a page from the Women's Weekly of Shinigami Publishing, Yoruichi smiled at the elegant red dress displayed on the page. "I'm so gonna get this dress. Perhaps I'll bring Ran-chan and Soifon with me to shopping!"

Yoruichi could feel her stomach grumbling. "Aww… I'm so hungry… No! I'm gonna wait for Naruto-kun! He'll be back any time now!"

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Naruto tried to shove the white substance away from his face but to no avail was it happening. In fact, it was solidifying into a mask. "D-Damn this… Aizen you traitor… so you're behind the disappearance of those people in Rukongai, huh?"

"That's right." Sousuke nodded. "You have always been an obstacle to me, Uzumaki taichou. Ever since the first day we met at the academy, I know you will become my adversary. I need to eliminate you and I will need patience and strength to do that. However, fate brings me to my discovery of the existence of an entity that could surpass the realm of both Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. That very entity will have the power to shape the world… akin to a God's strength."

"You're… mad…" The blonde's vision was jarring but he remained firm in his stance.

"Ambitious." The brunette corrected. "I aspire towards godhood. You aspire towards the norm. It is that that cause your downfall, Uzumaki taichou. From tomorrow onwards, the legendary Killer Flash will disappear from this world. Don't blame me. Blame your pointless attachment to your friends and family, Uzumaki taichou."

"Y-You know… I will carry… this in-investigation myself… you know… I will be here alone… that's why-"

"That's why tonight becomes the day you die. The Uzumaki taichou I know will not abandon his friends. The Uzumaki taichou I know will carry the burden all by himself. The Uzumaki taichou I know will not risk the lives of his family and friends. That is why you're so easy to be manipulated, Uzumaki taichou."

In split seconds, Aizen had stood before Naruto with his sword rose above his head. "Goodbye, Uzumaki taichou."

Naruto saw everything in slow motion. He saw how the world almost stopped. The blonde witnessed the descent of Sousuke's sword and the remorse within his heart pang with sorrow. _"I've failed you… jiji… kaa-chan… sensei… Yo-chan…"  
_  
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When Naruto reopened his eyes, he stood on a familiar cloud platform. "W-What the… Aizen? I'm in my mindscape…"

Assaying his vicinity, the blonde blinked. "Fujin Hyogatsu? Come out now! Where are you? Show yourself! Am I dead?"

**"You're not dead… you're more than alive, mate!"  
**  
Naruto snapped his attention to his back and froze in fear at what he saw.

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_  
"Yoruichi-sama… Yoruichi-sama…" Soifon nudged her mistress gently. "Wake up, Yoruichi-sama…"

The Shihouin matriarch opened her eyes groggily and meowed. "W-What is it, Soifon?"

Soifon squeaked. "Uh… there's a captain's meeting. It's urgent."

"What? But why? Naruto-kun isn't back yet."

"Yeah… about that." Soifon looked away and spoke softly, hoping her mistress wouldn't hear her. "An hour ago… Naruto-sensei's reiatsu disappeared from Soul Society. They suspect he is dead… or worst."

Yoruichi was struck in a stupor. "Y-You're joking... Tell me you're joking, Soifon! This isn't funny!"

"I'm not joking with you, Yoruichi-sama!" Soifon resisted her urge to break down; she was suppressing her tears. "In exactly one hour ago, Naruto-sensei's reiatsu disappeared from the map! He's reported KIA!"

"N-No... this is not true..." Yoruichi's eyes were a maelstrom of mixed emotions. Grasping her hands, Yoruichi's frame trembled in disbelief. "Naruto-kun... is not dead..."

When the information sank in, her entire world went crumbling down. Her sights were blurry and her clammy hands were shivering in trepidation; she was practically gasping for air, trying to wrestle herself out of the dreadful dilemma. Quavering in horror, Yoruichi, the 22nd matriarch of the Shihouin clan, captain of the second division, chief commander of the stealth force and Naruto's faithful wife, collapsed onto the ground and fell into an unconscious oblivion.

The last thing Yoruichi heard was Naruto's fading voice echoing in her mind.

_I promise I'll come home for tonight, alright?_

The last words that Yoruichi muttered faintly before the lights flickered out from her mentality were laced with mournful despair.

"You... promise..."

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Poor Yoruichi. Aizen is evil, it can't be help.

Please review


	18. Dark Side of the Universe

Author Note: I want to thank AvianaHelena personally for her help. She has been a great beta-reader. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**~ Chapter 18: Dark Side of the Universe ~**  
(Two days ago…)

Naruto was sitting in his office and the ominous darkness shadowed most of his frame. Gin stood at the end of the table, frowning in dismay. "So, Aizen is really behind all this crap, huh?"

"Yes, taichou," The undercover agent reported. "What should we do now, sir?"

The blond stood up from his seat and gazed at his reflection from the window. "Here is the plan. You will not abandon your post as Aizen's most trusted subordinate. As for me, I will pretend to be the useless sap who can't do shit. He'll attack me in two days' time, I guarantee you. I don't know what's with his newly perfected hollowification process but I can't let him conduct his immoral experiments on other people any longer. I will voluntarily fuck myself up with the shit and investigate it personally."

"Isn't that crazy?"

"I'll lure him out of his cosy spot. I have to make a scene over Aizen's secret hideout so he will realise that I'm trying to find evidence to drag his ass behind bars." Naruto grinned. "That is enough to lure the big fish to my bait. You do your part. I do mine. I have to know how he does it, the hollowification process that is. This is the only way."

"Taichou, I have to say this to you…" Gin smirked. "You're one crazy bastard."

The blond sighed. "It's for the safety and wellbeing of Soul Society. This plan will never work if I'm not crazy. Besides, it's not like Aizen can really get me that easily."

"I understand." The silver-haired shinigami nodded. "Then I'll stab you with my Shinsou in non-fatal places. I'll make sure Aizen won't get the chance to cut you down, taichou."

"You do that. It will make Aizen trust you even further."

"Taichou…" Gin was uncertain as he hesitated. "Are you really sure about this? Do you want to call off this thing? It will really get bloody and dangerous."

Naruto turned around and smiled. "It's for the wellbeing of Soul Society. If I don't do it, who will? And remember, Gin. Do not do anything hasty without my consent. Do not let Aizen know your status as a spy no matter what. Unless I give you the orders, you will only leave your post if your identity is compromised or Aizen is gonna kill you for some absurd reason. That is the only time you run, understand?"

The undercover agent nodded. "Understood."

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(Present…)

**"Shock? Why? You should have predicted all this. After all, you're the one who planned this entire charade, didn't you?"**

"I'm not really shocked." Naruto deadpanned as he walked forward and examined his doppelganger's appearance. The mysterious entity was clad in the opposite colour of his getup and his hair was midnight black, carrying a tint of crimson. His zanpakuto, the perfect replica of Fujin Hyogatsu, had its colours reverted into a simple, dark appearance. Grinning at his alter ego, Naruto placed a hand on his waist. "Even when I'm in a hollow form, I still look awesome. I'm impressed."

**"Fuck you mate! I'm not your toy!"**

"I didn't say you are." Naruto grinned. "So, you can go bankai as well?"

**"Yes."**

"Do you love Yo-chan as well?"

**"Yes."**

"Do you love ramen too?"

**"FUCK YOU!"**

"I guess not." Naruto shrugged. "So, how does this work? I'm kinda new on this."

**"You're a pseudo-hollow you dumb fuck!"**

"Yeah… about that." The blond pointed a finger laxly at his alter ego. "So… are you Kyubi as well?"

**"Fucktard. That dumbass is part of us now. Now that I'm here, his power is transferred equally to the both of us. If you gain my powers, you will have full access to hollow's skills as well as my power. You will transcend through the realm of both a hollow and a shinigami, dimwit. Now listen up, Aizen is out there trying to kill us. We have to work this out."  
**  
"Whoa! Easy there, tiger. I don't know your deal man. I don't even know if you're trying to kill me or-"

**"I'M NOT REALLY A HOLLOW, YOU FUCKASS!" **The hollow Naruto bellowed with rage at his master's insouciant attitude. Huffing an angry breath, the dark-haired Naruto growled. **"Now listen up, fuckface, cos I ain't repeating again. We are one. You are bound to gain my powers, one way or another. However, if you screw up, this game flips around and we play the other way around. That means, you two-digits IQ fucker, I get to be king and you get to be my slave, get it mate?"**

Naruto blinked. "You have a terrible accent."

**"MOTHERFU-"**

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In Rukongai, a conspiracy was about to unfold. Before Sousuke's sword managed to slice Naruto, the blond's hand abrupt shot at the brunette and seized his wrist. Sousuke was startled. "What is thi-"

**"Do you honestly believe… you can fuck around with me?" **Naruto grabbed his blade and slashed upwards, inflicting a deep cut across his torso. **"You have underestimated me, Aizen."**

Gritting his teeth, the brunette wiped the blood stain from his jaw and glared at the blond; his face was already covered with a mask that resembled a devilish fox that had a malevolent smirk, wrapped with jagged teeth, plastered on its features and had tribal patterns decorating on the forefront of it. _"T-This is not possible… why is his hollowification process speeding up-"  
__**  
**_**"You can stop daydreaming!"** The blond darted forward and kicked Sousuke in his stomach, launching the brunette through a few trees. Tousen, in the midst of exasperation, charged forward blindly, neglecting his battle instincts that were screaming at him to escape. Naruto scoffed at Tousen's impulsive assault. **"Idiot. You can go to hell and die."**

Naruto dissipated his frame into a harmless whirlwind and reappeared behind Tousen, his blade soaked in blood. **"Let there be death."**

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Yoruichi stood rigid, waiting patiently within the first barrack's meeting chamber. She was the first person to arrive and her mood was awfully calm, compared to other captains. Kensei and Shinji were discussing the events transpiring that night. Jushiro was worried for his apprentice's welfare and Shunsui kept a nonchalant outlook. Retsu was attending other captains and she seemed slightly vexed about Naruto's disappearance. The other captains filled their positions hastily as the captain commander arrived.

"Exactly one hour and thirty minutes ago, Uzumaki taichou, who was investigating the incident within Rukongai, was reported missing. Now we know that this has become a red alert for-"

"I volunteer to go and find him, Sotaichou-dono," Yoruichi interrupted.

"No."

"I have to go! Ji-sama, Naruto-"

"Remain impartial, Shihouin taichou!" Genryusai bellowed. "Address me formally, Shihouin taichou. This is the court!"

"Sotaichou… I have to go. I must go. My husband is out there and we don't know what is happening to him. He might be dying while we're here debating who should go-"

"I have decided to send Aikawa taichou of the seventh division, Hirako taichou of the fifth division, Muguruma taichou of the ninth division and Urahara taichou of the twelfth division to Rukongai to retrieve whatever is left of Uzumaki taichou." Genryusai sighed. "That is final. Kyoraku taichou of the eighth division, Ukitake taichou of the thirteenth division, Shihouin taichou of the second division and Unohana taichou of the fourth division shall stay and protect Seireitei!"

Yoruichi clenched her fist and growled. "No! I will go-"

"Watch your tone, Shihouin taichou!"

"He is your grandson-"

"Stay impartial at all times! That is our code and honour! Respect it! You are-"

"I am his wife! I must-"

The captain commander slammed his cane onto the ground and yelled. "My decision is final! Meeting adjourned!"

An ominous shadow concealed Yoruichi's amber eyes but her murderous aura was palpable. "This is not over."

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Naruto was vomiting blood in his mindscape, which he thought was impossible. "D-Damn… you're tough."

**"I told ya. You are nothing to me. You're just the boss of this world but this will change soon." **Hollow Naruto snickered. **"You cannot defeat me, get over it."**

"We'll see." The blond stood up dizzily and clutched onto his sword with both hands. "It has been a while since I used this. Ban-"

Instantly, hollow Naruto stood before his master calmly and seized the sharp edge of Fujin Hyogatsu. **"This sword belongs to me. You don't deserve Fujin Hyogatsu. Just admit it! You don't know how to use bankai! You fear your powers, Naruto! You fear it so much you'd rather die than use Fujin Hyogatsu's bankai! That is something I will never allow!"**

"Pretty talkative, aren't you?" Naruto animated a clone behind his alter ego and pointed a finger at the back of hollow Naruto's neck. "Rikujokoro."

Six planes of light energy slammed into hollow Naruto's waist, immobilising him. "You understand now, don't you? You might be me. You might have my powers. You might be my equal. But in terms of experience, you are not at my level. I purposely gave you the chance to be cocky. I let myself receive hits from you in order to make you fall into my trap. When you're close, there is a slim chance you can escape when I use Kido on you. You're dancing in my palm the entire time."

**"B-Bastard!"** Hollow Naruto growled. **"I lose this time… but I won't give up. As a warning for you, if you give me the chance to become stronger than you, I'll pull you back here and send you to hell!"  
**  
"Yeah, we'll see. And for a parting gift, I will tell you this. I do not fear Fujin Hyogatsu's power. I just find it redundant to use its full power, that's all. Goodbye!" Naruto grinned and sliced his alter ego in half with his sword. Hollow Naruto's frame dissipated into black ashes and the scattering dust was absorbed into Fujin Hyogatsu.

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Sousuke couldn't comprehend the destructive nature of Naruto. He had never seen anybody complete the hollowification process with such astounding speed, let alone survive the ordeal. The blond accomplished everything at an ungodly pace and had exceeded all of Sousuke's expectation. Naruto had regained his consciousness in mere minutes and his strength had skyrocketed. It had been a while since the brunette felt fear within his heart.

Naruto had ripped off his menacing mask and was grinning at Sousuke. "Surprised? Do you really think you can outsmart me, Aizen? I knew from the start you're the traitor."

The brunette sighed. "Indeed. You're truly unpredictable, Uzumaki taichou. In Seiretei, you're one of the two people whose intelligence matches mine."

Gin smirked as he swung his blade and turned his aim on Naruto. "Allow me to finish this myself, Aizen fukutaichou."

Sousuke smiled approvingly. "Excellent. Go for it."

"Shoot him dead, Shinsou!" The silver-haired shinigami shot Shinsou's extensive blade at the blond, who simply sidestepped Gin's assault and dashed towards Sousuke. Naruto vanished before he reached the brunette and reappeared his form behind Sousuke; his sword was readied to unleash bloodshed. "Shinryuho!" **(God Dragon Cannon)**

When Naruto slashed at Sousuke, the brunette instinctively evaded the attack. Sousuke was surprised when a bright flash emanated from Naruto's blade and a vibrant blast enveloped the brunette. Unable to escape, Sousuke was swallowed by the explosion. The smoke that surrounded the vicinity clouded everybody's view. Naruto waited quietly for Sousuke to recover from his shock and as anticipated, a lone figure emerged from the smoke and stood far from the battlefield. "So, how do you feel, Aizen?"

"Refreshed, I must say." Sousuke ripped the torn sleeve from his robe and examined his gravely injured arm. He had misjudged Naruto's strength and that was a fatal miscalculation. "Very interesting. I never knew you had such an attack. I must say this is truly… unnerving."

"You haven't never seen all of my attacks yet, Aizen. Don't sound too arrogant. It'll be your downfall." Naruto grinned and stared at his arm; he could feel a distinctive, yet foreign energy roaming within his veins. "So, this is your hollowification experiment? You're sick. You should try your own medicine for a change."

"Nonsense." Sousuke aimed his palm at the blond and smirked. "There is no need to. I will eliminate you. That's all there is to it. Hado no. 88-"

"Up here!" The blond's speed was undetectable. He was already hovering atop of Sousuke with his blade raised above. "Schooled ya! Shintenho!" **(God Heaven Cannon)  
**  
When Naruto's sword descended upon the brunette, the terrain was engulfed in a deafening explosion.

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Yoruchi had discarded her haori. She was dressed in her stealth getup and prepared to save her husband. When she snuck out from her chamber, she was surprised to find Soifon standing outside of her office. "Y-Yoruichi-sama… are you going to rescue Naruto-sensei?"

The Shihouin matriarch blinked and stared at her feet. "Yes."

It was a quiet mutter but Soifon knew her mistress's tone was laced with resolve and unbreakable determination.

Yoruichi strode past her apprentice and continued walking down the hallway. "Are you going to stop me, Soifon?"

"No." Soifon twirled around and bowed. "I know you will not permit me to fight your battles for you."

"I'm glad you understand." The Shihouin matriarch disappeared into a static blur, vacating her former spot. Soifon sighed and retreated back into her chamber.

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"What is taking her so long?" Shinji dug his ear and questioned the rescue team gathered around him. Kensei sighed and diverted his eyes to the second division barracks. "I think she assumes we'll be going without her."

"Sotaichou has already stated that Shihouin taichou is not allowed to engage the unknown territory." Love retorted. "Why should we wait for her?"

"It's pointless." Kisuke chuckled. "Knowing Yoruichi-san, she will never sit still and wait for Naruto to die in the wild."

"Are we not going against sotaichou's order? By allowing Shihouin taichou to follow us in our mission, we have defied orders." The seventh division captain bellowed.

"Quiet down, will ya?" Shinji deadpanned. "Relax, big guy. I'm sure one more member in the gang will do some good for the team. Kensei specialised in close combat. I specialised in kido. Kisuke specialised in strategies. You specialised in sword combat and Yoruichi specialised in speed. It's the best team in town, I tell ya."

Love sighed. "Still… I have this uneasy feeling…"

"I see you guys are here." Yoruichi appeared behind the group in a sonic resonance. "Are you trying to stop me?"

"No." Kensei replied, much to the Shihouin matriarch's relief. "We're here to escort you to the unknown territory."

"It's pointless to stop you." Kisuke grinned. "Come, we must hurry. We're running out of time."

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HA! Most of you believed Naruto really got his ass handed to Aizen. :D Hehe!

Please review


	19. Let's Stop the Pendulum Swing

Finally, this story has reached 1000 reviews! Yay! *Ahem* Moving on!

**~ Chapter 19: Let's Stop the Pendulum Swing ~**

"We're leaving, Gin. Bring Tousen away," Sousuke commanded.

The silver-haired shinigami nodded and obliged. Gin rushed to an unconscious Tousen's side and draped his hands over his shoulders; in a split second, they vanished into a whirlwind of leaves. Naruto's vision was blurry and his thoughts jarred; with his strength enervated, the blond was vulnerable. Nevertheless, he didn't drop his blade and instead tightened his grasp.

"Retreating? You're a coward, Aizen," Naruto said with a smirk.

"Perhaps," Sousuke admitted with a grin and stared at the woods. "But retreating for a greater purpose is not considered an act of cowardice. It's patience. Goodbye, Yamamoto Uzumaki Naruto."

"D-Don't you dare-"

"Give up, Uzumaki taichou." Sousuke adjusted his glasses. "Your attacks are getting reckless. They are lacking firepower. That sudden boost of power was just a fluke. Your powers are slipping away from your grasp. With your current strength, you cannot defeat me. The hollowfication process has taken a toll on both your mentality and your body's endurance. You are at your weakest state. That's why…"

The brunette appeared abruptly beside a startled Naruto and he spoke frostily, "I can squash you like a bug with… ease. However, that will be redundant. My role is over. I'll see you soon."

The blond swung his blade, but he cut air. Sousuke had already fled from the scene. Collapsing to his knees, Naruto panted in exhaustion. "D-Damn it…"

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"I can feel Naruto-kun's reiatsu!" Yoruichi dashed through the tenebrous forest with her comrades.

Shinji stroked his chin and frowned, "But it's fairly weak."

"We need to hurry," Kensei said sternly.

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Soifon quavered fearfully as she knelt before the oppressing presence of the captain commander. When her mistress left, she was ordered to meet Genryusai in his barracks. She didn't realise the captain commander had discovered the scheme. "Where is your captain? Where is Yamamoto Shihouin Uzumaki Yoruichi?"

"I-I do not know-"

"Do not lie to me, child," Genryusai exclaimed. "Where is she? Did she go into the unknown territory?"

"I… don't know…"

"Your loyalty to your captain is inspiring, but it is a crime to conceal the mistakes of your captain's idiocy."

"I… don't…"

The captain commander unleashed his fury as he flooded the chamber with murderous intent and ungodly spiritual pressure. "I will not myself repeat again. Tell me: where is she?"

Tears burst from Soifon's eyes as she whimpered. "I…"

"Say it!"

"N-No! I don't know anything!" The girl shook her head in sheer anxiety.

"Foolish child." Genryusai huffed disapprovingly and stood up from his seat before striding past the shivering Soifon. "You are of no use to me. Leave my premise and return to your post."

"Y-Yes…"

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When Yoruichi and her group arrived at their destination, Naruto was lying unconscious on the ground. There were signs of struggle and battle in the area, but there were no visible wounds on the blond. Yoruichi rushed to her husband's side and examined his body, which was surprisingly unharmed. Kensei stood behind the Shihouin matriarch and cocked a quizzical brow. "He's not injured, yet his reiatsu is abnormally low."

"We don't have time left, Yoruichi!" Shinji bellowed. "Let's bring him back."

"No, something is wrong about him," Love announced. "There are traces of hollow's presence within his spirit energy. If the authority discovers any foreign bodies within his spirit energy that might relate to hollow's power, he might be judged."

Yoruichi draped her husband's arm over her shoulder and stared at Rose. "Let's just bring him to his mother. I'm sure Unohana taichou can do something to help out."

Kisuke stood silently in the background, preferring not to comment on Naruto's status.

Without delaying any further, they left the area in static blurs.

Naruto, though slipping into oblivion, was gasping for breaths and muttering weakly, "G-Get me back… to my division…"

Kensei blinked. "You're awake. What happen?"

"J-Just bring me back to my division… I don't have much time left…"

"What do you mean?" Yoruichi was stupefied.

"Just do it…" Naruto smiled at his wife and mumbled softly. "Please…"

Without questioning her husband's order, Yoruichi took a detour and rushed to the tenth division barracks.

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"Why do you want to come here? Of all places!" Kensei yelled with annoyance. "Don't you get your situation? Your health is deteriorating at an unbelievable rate. We need to get you fix-"

Naruto panted as he rummaged through his drawer and pulled out a document. "This is… the evidence… that I have recorded… from all those years. Take this and give it to my grandfather. It contains… confidential files that… depicts the spy I have sent… to investigate… the Rukongai incident. This file must… end up… in my grandfather's hand."

Yoruichi was an emotional wreck. Her body was trembling with sheer fear and she was desperately suppressing her sobs. "W-We need to bring you to your mother-"

"Unohana taichou will not be able to help him." Kisuke suddenly voiced out his opinion, much to his comrade's shock. Yoruichi twisted her attention to her friend and stared in disbelief at him. "The reason why I know that much… is because I invented the Hogyoku."

"Hogyoku?" Rose recited. "What's that?"

"Something that can break the boundary between the realm of the hollows and our world." Kisuke clenched his fist and sighed. "I didn't expect Aizen to have found it."

Yoruichi stood up hastily and seized Kisuke's collar. "Then you should know how to save him! Do something!"

"There is nothing I can do to help him! The will is set. There is no turning back. If I'm not wrong, he has defeated the hollow within himself. Don't ask me what that is. I myself do not know much in detail about the strength and miracle of the Hogyoku. All I can say is that Naruto is no longer a shinigami. He must leave Soul Society before Central 46 realises this matter."

"No! Nobody is leaving Soul Society!" Yoruichi roared. "Naruto-kun is staying-"

"Hakufuku."

The Shihouin matriarch widened her eyes in stupefaction before darkness enveloped her. She collapsed into Naruto's arms, unconscious. Kisuke stared remorsefully at the blond. "So you have planned all this out?"

Naruto nodded reluctantly as he stood up straight; his exhausted features were replaced by a placid smile. "Now that Aizen knows about me and my predicament, his next target will be Yo-chan. If he can't hurt me physically, he can hurt me in many other ways. He knows I love Yo-chan more than my own life. If I stay here, he will come after her. If I leave, he will have to hunt me down in another way. I will leave Soul Society and hide myself away from Aizen's detection. That is the only way to ensure Yo-chan's safety, as well as everybody's."

Kensei sighed. "Don't you think that is too much? You're sacrificing too much… and for what?"

"For her." Naruto stared sorrowfully at the beatific features of his wife. "Kisuke, can you get me a gigai?"

Kisuke smirked. "So you have planned to that extent?"

The blond laid his wife on the ground in a comfortable position and stood up. "I need a gigai that can withstand my spiritual pressure. Also, this gigai must allow me to use my powers."

"The best I can do is to give you a gigai that can allow you to freely use twenty percent of your powers. In another words, you won't be able to activate bankai-"

"That will be enough." Naruto interjected. "Shinji, Kensei, Rose, Love, take the document and pass it to my grandfather."

Shinji sighed. "Take care of yourself. As for Sousuke, I will-"

"Don't do anything," Naruto interrupted.

"W-What-"

"If you let him know that you know about what transpired earlier, he would try to eliminate you." The blond stared darkly at Shinji. "Aizen is strong. His level is that of a captain, maybe more. Shinji, you must be careful from today onwards. He will try to check if you know anything about me, since you're part of the rescue squad. Everybody, for your safety, act as if nothing has happened."

Kensei gritted his teeth. "I can't do that."

"Whether you like it or not, what has been done has been done. I entrust Yo-chan to you, Kensei. Please take care of her." Naruto sighed and turned his attention to Kisuke. "Can you get me the gigai now?"

"I would need at least twelve hours to make it work." Kisuke stared apologetically at Naruto before he vanished into a soothing breeze.

Naruto smiled. "That would be great. I need to go somewhere else. The rest of you can return to your posts. I will report back to my grandfather."

"Are you sure?" Love queried. "This is just… insane."

"If I'm sane, this would never work." The blond caressed Yoruichi's face and sighed. He planted his last, passionate kiss on his wife's sultry lips before pulling it away reluctantly. "I should take my leave now. Kensei…"

The silver-haired captain shook his head and took the Shihouin matriarch away from Naruto's embrace. "We will still remain in contact, right?"

"We'll see. I have already recovered from the ordeal. I can feel my body adapting to the new changes within me." Naruto sighed and disappeared in a miniature whirlwind.

There were places for him to go before his departure.

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Naruto stood outside the main hall of the Yamamoto clan, reminiscing the days he spent with his grandfather. He remembered the first day he first came and became a Yamamoto. He was not neglected and even though he wasn't blood related to Genryusai, his grandfather had never ostracised him for being a rogue soul. His grandfather took the time to teach him and was always patient with his curiosity; he had never seen his grandfather's wrath. Even when Genryusai was upset, Naruto's infectious, cheesy smile would make him smile as well.

Those days were over.

The blonde stepped into the main hall. It was the same main hall where his grandfather would sit on a chair, sipping tea while waiting for him to return home from school. When he graduated from school and became an officer as a formal shinigami, his grandfather would wait in the main hall for him to return from work. Naruto smiled sadly. "I guess this is the end… for everything."

Naruto raised his head and widened his eyes; Genryusai was seated on the same chair that the blonde had made all those years ago, drinking his tea while facing Naruto. "You're finally home, Naruto."

"J-Jiji…" The blonde clenched his fist tightly, desperately trying to suppress his emotions. "I-I'm leaving… I can't stay in Soul Society any longer. It will only burden you… and…"

"You do not need to say anything else, Naruto." Genryusai sighed and placed his cup back on the table.

The aged captain creaked open an eye when he heard a thud.

His grandson had knelt before him, his forehead planted on the cold wooden floor and his frame trembling. Tears were threatening to burst as he struggled to speak. "J-Jiji… thanks for everything. If you hadn't rescued me from that forest… if you hadn't helped me all these years… I would never have become what I am now. Jiji… I…"

"Naruto." Genryusai smiled warmly at the blonde. "I have never regretted saving you back then. You are my grandson, no matter how other people denounce our bonds. Life will be meaningful and lively if you can abandon all burdens but that is not possible for people like us. Raising you was like a new lease on life for me. My wife died long time ago. During her death period, I promise to stay faithful to her and for that, I have no children. Frankly, I don't have time to search for a wife anyway. I need to govern the entire Seireitei. Having you as my grandson is a dream to me, Naruto."

The blond couldn't resist anymore.

Naruto cried. Salty liquid cascaded down his cheeks as he choked with sobs.

Genryusai stared at his crying grandson and sighed. "You don't need to be powerful. You don't need to be a genius. You don't need to be a captain. Just be happy and healthy, that's all I ever wish for you."

His grandson sniffed and wiped the tears from his face.

"Stand up, Naruto." Naruto obliged to his grandfather's request; it was most likely the last request anyway.

"Do what you have to do. And when everything is over, come back for dinner." Genryusai drew up to his full height and ambled slowly to the hallway. "I will be waiting."

Naruto nodded, his tears still streaming from his eyes. "C-Can I ask a favour from you, jiji?"

The aged captain halted his steps. "What is it?"

"Take care of Yo-chan for me."

"She is my granddaughter-in-law. You don't need to ask." Genryusai continued venturing into the hallway.

"T-Take care of yourself too, jiji!" Naruto twirled around and proceeded to leave the premises, but paused in his tracks when he heard his grandfather's final words.

"Even if I can't see you, even if we're far apart, I'll always be watching over you, my grandson. I'll watch over you forever." The wind guided the echo of those words to Naruto's ears and the blond ran out of the mansion. _"Thank you… jiji."_

If Naruto had stayed longer, he would have seen Genryusai's tears.

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Naruto ventured towards his next destination; he was standing before the gates of the fourth division. Retsu was like his own mother. Without her, Naruto didn't know how he would have become what he had become; his mother had taught him the principle of righteousness, kindness and generosity. Naruto had no mother since he was born without one, so he didn't know what to do when Retsu came into his life. He prayed to whatever God was in the sky to show him the warmth of maternal love, and he received it. He loved Retsu and he was a filial son to her.

The blond knew he could no longer be filial to her. His last visit was his way to show his gratitude to her.

Naruto vanished in a static blur and stood behind Retsu. She sat on the edge of the wooden floor, admiring the soporific glow of the moonlight. Setting her tea down beside her, Retsu sighed softly. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

"Yes… I am." Naruto was suppressing the urge to cry as he clenched his fists tightly.

"Be brave then, my dear." Retsu tapped onto the vacant spot beside her, beckoning her son to sit beside her. The blond complied and settled down beside his surrogate mother. "Even if you're not my flesh and blood, our bond will always be that of a family bond. I… I know whenever you've made up your mind, your stubbornness gets the better of you. If you're leaving, then I only wish you can drop any burdens that might stop you from doing what you have to do."

Naruto nodded and hid his face from his mother.

"I might not have told you this but… I'm proud of you." Retsu smiled with tears streaming down her eyes. "I can't be more proud to have a son like you. You were such a troublemaker when you were young, but you have grown and become such a strong boy, Naruto. You have always been my happiness. Kaa-chan is old now. I won't be getting married any time soon, Naruto. But with a son like you to always be there for me, I'm more than satisfied."

Naruto unexpectedly hugged Retsu and sobbed into her shoulder. She ruffled his hair gently and whispered, "You must take care of yourself, alright? Don't eat too much ramen. Remember to close the window at night. You catch colds easily. Remember to eat more vegetables. I know you dislike them but they're healthy for you."

"A-And you too…" The blond pushed his mother gently away and tried his hardest to smile. "You eat spicy food too much. Without me around, nobody is going to nag at you. So don't forget, okay?"

"I… I will."

"Take care of yourself, kaa-chan." Retsu nodded as she wiped off the tears staining Naruto's reddened cheeks. "I was born without a mom. But even if you didn't give birth to me, you're still my kaa-chan, no matter what. You're the only kaa-chan I have now, you gotta take care of yourself and be healthy, okay?"

"…T-Those are my lines."

Naruto kowtowed before his mother and wept. "T-Thank y-you for your love, kaa-chan. Tell Isane-chan to take care of herself too."

Isane was crying behind a wall, trying desperately to restrain her sobs.

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(Two days ago)

"And this is my plan," Naruto said solemnly.

"No!" Retsu exclaimed in horror. "How could you even plan such thing?"

"Hana-chan is right." Shunsui tilted his straw hat and shook his head disapprovingly at the blond's reckless scheme. "You have no proof whatsoever to determine Aizen fukutaichou's hostility against Soul Society. It might be your paranoia, who knows?"

Jushirou stepped forward. "As your teacher, I cannot let you do it."

"And as your mother," Retsu glared fiercely at the blond, "I will not permit you to do such thing."

"I have already decided." Naruto blinked. "Besides, if I don't do this, who would?"

The captain of the fourth division clenched her fist and frowned. "What about Yoruichi-chan? Are you going to abandon her for the sake of this mission?"

"…Yes." Naruto stared at the ground, unable to look at his mother's eyes. "One way or another, Aizen is going to commence his plan. I know it. If I manage to stop him, Soul Society might get rid of a potential threat. However, if I fail, Yo-chan will be in danger. Aizen will do anything he can to hurt me by placing his filthy hands on Yo-chan. He might even try to harm you or any of my loved ones. I can't let that happen. That's why if my plan fails I must leave Soul Society."

"I do not approve. Plain and simple. Do not go against my word, Naru-chan." Retsu's glare had intensified to the degree where Jushirou and Shunsui were sweating. Naruto, though afraid of his mother's wrath, stood firm in his words. "Is that understood, Naru-chan?"

Naruto unexpectedly hugged Retsu and whispered sadly into her ear. "There are things I have to do, kaa-chan. I'm no longer the kid you used to pamper. I told you the details of my operation because I know you will let me go. Kaa-chan, please…"

Retsu bit her lips and sighed. "You're a big boy now. I'm sure… you know what you're doing. Just don't forget to come back, okay?"

The blond smiled and nodded. "Thanks for everything."

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Naruto blitzed through the empty district of Seireitei. His destination was the Senkaimon, a dimensional gate that would allow him to leave Soul Society. He was surprised when he was halted by the sudden appearance of a group of shinigami. "Uzumaki taichou of the tenth division, you are hereby arrested under Central 46's order. Central 46 has decided to place you under compulsory detainment. Please come with us immediately."

The blond widened his eyes in shock. _"That didn't come into my calculation. How did Aizen manage to persuade Central 46 about this matter?"_

The shinigami approached Naruto cautiously and handcuffed his hands. Naruto gritted his teeth and followed his captor to the council. _"If I resist, I will ultimately lure a bigger problem to myself. Getting out of Soul Society will become troublesome. I guess I'll see what Aizen is up to."_

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"What exactly is this?" Naruto questioned as he stared emotionlessly at the councilmen of Central 46.

"Did we give you any permission to speak, Uzumaki taichou?" An egotistic authoritarian announced. "You were sent here to be interrogated by us. You are not permitted to speak unless it is to answer our questions."  
_  
"Interrogation? Did they know-"  
_  
"Where were you last night, Uzumaki taichou?"

Naruto scowled. "I was in the sixth district of Rukongai."

"You were there conducting your evil hollowification experiment, am I right?" The councilman accused.

"W-What?" The blond snarled. "I did not do such thing-"

"In order to augment your strength, you used yourself as an experiment by infusing the power of a hollow into your soul. By doing so, you have trespassed the boundary between the realm of a shinigami and a hollow. However, that means you're not a shinigami anymore. Is that not accurate?"

Naruto growled. "It was Aizen fukutaichou who fed you all these lies, wasn't it?"

"Silence, imbecile-"

"No!" The blond yelled. "Aizen was the one who set all this up. He was the mastermind behind the hollowification process."

"Your lies are ludicrous. The fifth squad's vice captain never left Seireitei last night. We have resources and concrete evidence from reliable witnesses that Aizen fukutaichou never left his post." The councilman huffed. "We have hundred of shinigami to attest that. There is no way you can place your preposterous blame on him."

Naruto was startled. "Impossible! He was there last night-"

"Enough!" A councilman tossed a stack of paper at the blond and smirked. "These are reports, notes and paperwork found in your office. The content has stated in depth about your intention to increase your power via a vile procedure. You cannot deny that, can you?"

"W-What? No! Those are supposed to be files regarding my operation-"

"To fulfil your desire by obtaining the power of a hollow, am I not right?"

"This is bullshit!" Naruto spat. "Listen to yourself! Why would I-"

The councilman interrupted and declared judgment. "For researching and conducting your heinous and repugnant experiment, you are hereby sentenced to… deat-"

The door was kicked open and a familiar silhouette appeared before them. Naruto, taking in cognition of the intruder's frame, was befuddled. "Y-Yo-chan…"

"What is the meaning of this? What's happening? How dare you intrude to this interrogation! What insolence! Leave now, you insect! Guards! Men! Do something!" Unbeknownst to the authoritarians of Central 46, the guards stationed outside the chamber were all incapacitated. Yoruichi, clad in disguise, dashed forward and swiftly eliminated a guardsman. Without hesitation, she crushed her husband's handcuff with her bare hand and she seized his shoulder before they vanished into whirlwinds.

"Catch them! What is this madness!"

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Naruto flexed his sore wrist and looked away. "Why are you here?"

Yoruichi, unable to tame her rage, lunged at the blond and threw a fist to her husband's face. Naruto did not duck and received the vengeful punch from his weeping wife. Yoruichi straddled her husband's hips while slamming her fists on his chest. "Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!"

"Y-Yo-chan…"

"Don't you dare do that to me again!" Yoruichi screamed. "I know what you're thinking! You don't want to get me involved… so you choose to leave me behind… Do you know how selfish you are? Have you considered my feelings? Do you even know what will I do if something happen to you? Do you think playing hero is all that great? Huh?"

"Yo-chan, please, listen-"

"No!" Yoruichi interjected as she seized a handful of fabric from Naruto's coat. "You listen to me! Never, ever, do that to me again…"

Naruto softened his gaze and wiped a tear from Yoruichi's face. "I'm sorry for hurting you like this…"

"I don't want an apology! I want a promise!"

The blond leaned forward and captured his wife's pink lips. Moaning in pleasure, Yoruichi broke the kiss and gently pushed Naruto away. "So?"

"I promise." The blond grinned.

"I see that we the lovebirds have reunited." Retsu interrupted, much to Naruto's dismay. Standing behind the captain of the fourth division were Kensei, Shinji and Kisuke.

"K-Kaa-chan, why are you here?"

"That is not important. Most importantly, we should get you away from here." Kensei said, "As for now, you're a wanted man."

Kisuke sighed. "I will open the Senkaimon and prepare the necessity for you. Also, I have already constructed two gigai for the both of you."

"Thanks." Naruto smiled gratefully at his friends.

Shinji scowled. "You two need to get moving. You don't have much time."

Naruto switched his attention to his wife and smiled. "You sure you want to follow me? We'll be running constantly all the time."

"I'm married to you. I have to follow you wherever you go, stupid." Yoruichi giggled.

Kensei shuddered. "Just get going. The two of you are… j-just go!"

"That's right." Retsu smiled. "And once the two of you have settled down, do remember to send me some photos of my future grandkids."

"G-Grandkids?" Naruto and Yoruichi stammered in unison.

"You are going to give me some grandchildren to play with, are you not?" Retsu's smile gradually became sinister. "Hmm?"

"Sure…" Naruto chuckled nervously. "When we settle down… I'm sure… we will…"

Yoruichi blushed when her husband looked at her.

Kisuke clapped his hands, gaining attention from the pair. "Let's get going. The Senkaimon is ready."

"Take care of yourself, Naru-chan, Yoruichi-chan." Retsu smiled.

"Take care of yourself too, kaa-chan."

"Don't get yourself caught by us, jerk." Kensei smirked.

Naruto stood up and hoisted his wife to a standing position before he grinned at his friend. "I won't."

A gigantic portal was ripped from the atmosphere as Kisuke completed his spell. Naruto grasped Yoruichi's hand then took a last look at his mother and friends before darting into the Senkaimon.

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Yes! Next chapter will be the start of Bleach!

I need to apologise to my readers. I am coping with my military life, so in the process, I am very busy. I won't have enough time to update my stories. Anyway, I need to thank AvianaHelena, my beta-reader, for helping me.

Cheers!

Please review!


	20. Strawberry Intrudes! The Story Begins

**Author Note:** Hmm, I received reviews regarding about Naruto shouldn't surrender. Truth is, if he didn't surrender, he will invite more trouble. Besides, if he just attacked those guards, he wouldn't know the depth of Aizen's evilness! As for why he didn't submit those documents to his own grandfather, he is trying to cover his friend's back. Shinji and the gang cannot return empty-handed. That's fact. By the way, I believed I have stated I am serving army. Sadly, I don't have time to update my stories as frequently as I can. I apologise to my anxious readers, who are most likely very frustrated with me. LOL! Once again, I'm sorry. I will try my best to cope with my tight schedule.****

~ Chapter 20: Strawberry Intrudes! The Story Begins! ~  
  
(94 years later)

"Mommy, I don't like school!"

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"N-No… yes! My friends laugh at my hair! They think my purple hair is fake! It is not fake!" The young girl with vibrant violet hair pouted as she played with her bangs. "I hate my hair!"

Yoruichi giggled as she paused in her stride and knelt down, meeting the timid gaze of her precious daughter. She stroked her daughter's hair fondly and smiled. "Oh my baby angel, you should be proud of it. You know what, Nachiko-chan? They are jealous! They are jealous of you. They are lost souls. You shouldn't let them make you feel down. You have your father's eyes and mommy's hair. No matter what, you are the most beautiful child to us."

"R-Really?"

Yoruichi kissed her daughter's forehead and she whispered soothingly into the child's ear. "I love you, Nachiko-chan. Be proud of who you are, not what you are."

Nachiko's eyes beamed with joy and she nodded fervently; no matter what happened, she knew her mom knows what to say. "Umm! Is daddy coming home for dinner tonight?"

"Yes, my love. Daddy is coming home." Yoruichi stood up and opened her palm, offering for her daughter to hold it. "Come on, we don't want to be late. Mommy still needs to buy some groceries."

"Okay! I want miso ramen for dinner!" Nachiko grabbed her mother's hand and she skipped buoyantly to the market.

Yoruichi shook her head and grinned. _"Just like her father."_

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"Ah choo!" Naruto rubbed his nose indignantly and stared with sheer boredom in his eyes at his fellow doctors in the meeting room. "Sorry about that. So, about the surgery…"

Ryuken Ishida, director of the Karakura Hospital, sat upright and addressed the issue frostily. "The surgery must be conducted. Himiko's parents have given their consent for the surgery. Besides, the girl wishes for it."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Oh please, cut me some slack. You obviously know the risk is high for this one. The chance for her to survive the operation is equal to dropping a rock into a river and hoping for it to float. Himiko must not undergo the operation. It is just too risky and dangerous for a twelve year old girl to undergo such-"

The director glared coldly at the unfazed blond. "But don't forget, you are a professional doctor-"

"That has nothing to do with me being a professional doctor and shit-"

"This is a direct order." Ryuken interrupted. "Himiko will be in the operating ward tomorrow morning. It is either she risks it or she lives the rest of her life without her legs and hands. As a doctor who holds morals and ethics with high regard, what is the best solution for her? Her willing parents have already made payment for her operation. This operation must be performed, and it will be done by you, doctor Uzumaki."

Naruto chuckled. "You really have a stick up your ass, Ryuken."

The other doctors were both amazed and disgruntled by the fact that Naruto was the only doctor who could be rude to the director of the hospital and still get away with it. Naruto drew himself up to his full height and slotted his fists into his coat pockets. "You know what? Fuck you all. I'm done for the day. Don't call me. I won't be answering any calls from the hospital."

Ryuken sighed as Naruto strolled out of the chamber.

The last quincy had known Naruto for nine years. The blond had decided to move in to Karakura town the day his wife was found pregnant. It was a miracle for him; however, he knew that meant they had to forsake their life as escapees. In order to do so, they decided to find a sequestered spot somewhere in the world of the living where his family would be safe. Once the couple had settled down, Naruto decided to work for the local hospital as a promising doctor.

In the past decades, Naruto had studied vigorously in the medical field, earning himself a degree; he had ventured to various places throughout the world with Yoruichi to further broaden his horizons. Initially, Ryuken detested Naruto's presence as the blond was a shinigami. However, when Naruto confronted Ryuken about his crisis, the director empathised his dilemma and accepted him into the workforce.

When Nachiko was born, he overflowed with happiness. When the couple sent their photos to Retsu, she was delighted beyond cognition; she even snuck her way to the world of the living just to have a look at Nachiko. Yoruichi and Nachiko were everything to him. Naruto was an orphan, so he cherished his moments with his family as much as possible.

However, Naruto and Yoruichi had never disclosed their true identities to their daughter. It was a precautionary measure. Most importantly, they didn't want their daughter to live their life. Sometimes, it was better to be ordinary.

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(4 years ago – Nachiko: Age 5)

"What should we do, Naruto-kun? The temperature of her fever is getting higher and higher!"

As a doctor and a soul reaper, Naruto knew exactly what was going on with her unconscious daughter's body. Nachiko's birth had almost killed Yoruichi, simply because she was born with excessive amounts of spirit energy. Initially, Naruto sealed a portion of his daughter's latent power within her soul. However, as she grew older, the seal became weaker. Her lithe, undeveloped body was unable to contain that much spirit energy.

"Naruto-kun! Do something!" The panting Nachiko was in her mother's embrace; she could only register faintly her parents' conversation.

Naruto sighed. "It isn't an ordinary fever, Yo-chan. The seal is broken. Unlike us, she has no adequate combat training to subdue her powers. And her reiatsu is even stronger than mine. Chiko-chan is not going to make it. She… is going to explode."

Yoruichi bit her lips and growled. "Then do the sealing ritual! Now!"

"You won't like it."

"What do you mean?"

"In order to seal her spirit energy completely, I have to drag out all of her reiatsu within her without killing her. I'm now sure what will happen. I have only read this in books and it works, theoretically. If the procedure-"

"Just shut up and do it!" Yoruichi yelled.

The blond swiftly formed a hand seal. "Bakudo no. 99: Kin!" **(Way of Binding: Seal)**

Naruto reluctantly summoned ropes, which manifested from nothingness, and he pinned Nachiko firmly on her bed with the binding spell. Yoruichi was in distraught. "What are you doing?"

"Trust me; this is the only way to prevent her from struggling." Naruto sighed heavily. "This will be a long day."

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(Present)

"I'm home!" Naruto exclaimed.

Nachiko, appeared from nowhere and jumped into her father's embrace. "Daddy, you're home! We have ramen tonight! Mommy is cooking her special recipe!"

The blond grinned and ruffled his daughter's hair affectionately. "Awesome! So, how was your day in school?"

Nachiko frowned and stared at the floor. Naruto arched a brow, dropped his suitcase and hoisted her daughter on his back, giving her a piggy-back ride. "What happened? Did anybody bully you? Tell daddy and I'll make sure they understand my youthful fury!"

The purple-haired girl giggled. "It's not that. It's just… people think I'm odd."

"Why would that be?"

"For starters, I have purple hair. That's weird! None of my classmates have this kind of hair colour! They have black, brown, dark blue. And then this boy who has orange hair. That's weird. But we're equally weird! I don't like being weird."

Naruto chuckled. "My darling, you're not weird. If you're weird, I'm hundred times weirder than you. What does that make me? A goof ball?"

"Yup!" Nachiko chirped.

"Aww, you hurt daddy's feeling. Pillow fight tonight!"

"Yay! And I'm gonna win like I always do! You're weak, daddy!"

"Y-Yes!" Naruto posed a dramatic stance. "M-My presence is… shadowed by the everlasting grace… of Nachiko-sama!"

The girl guffawed buoyantly at her father's antics. Yoruichi, dressed in a simple blouse, jeans and an apron, walked out of the kitchen with a pot of steaming ramen in her gloved hands. "Alright, fun times over. Dinner is ready."

"Yay! Ramen! Daddy, go forth! To the kitchen!" Nachiko pointed a finger at the kitchen table.

"To the kitchen!" Naruto repeated.

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The sun had fallen, and much to Nachiko's dismay, she disliked the night. She had seen paranormal things ever since she knew how to speak. However, she rarely confronted her parents about it. She could see spirits floating across the streets through her window. Sometimes, on unfortunate occasions, she saw enormous, heinous monstrosities flying around the city. That was enough to frighten her.

"D-Daddy! Daddy!" Nachiko whimpered. "P-Please come to me!"

Naruto rushed to his daughter's bedroom, as usual. As he opened the door silently, the blond saw his daughter sitting on her bed, hugging her teddy bear tightly against her chest. Naruto grinned and strolled to Nachiko's side and sat on her bed. "What's wrong? Still seeing things?"

"N-No. I'm just scared… I don't want to see that… weird… scary masked monster again."

The blond was unfazed as he kept his smile on his lips. "And you won't! What did daddy tell you?"

Nachiko blinked and smiled brightly. "You're superman in disguise and your duty is to protect me!"

"Shh!" Naruto placed a finger on his mouth and smiled playfully. "Don't let others hear that. This is a secret between you and me. Other people will think I'm selfish for not protecting the world, you know? They will be jealous of you, and that's precisely what your classmates are doing. They're jealous!"

"That's what mom said."

"And is she ever wrong?"

"Yes!" Nachiko smirked. "Remember that time she said driving north to town would be a good idea? We ended up in a desert for five hours."

"Oh, yeah, that." Naruto chuckled. "Well, that's funny but… no matter what daddy will always protect you. Trust me; nothing will dare touch you as long as I'm alive! Daddy is superman, right? And superman is invincible, no?"

The purple-haired girl grinned cheekily. "Yup!"

"How about this, I'll stay here and be on guard. If any stupid monsters dare to come, I'll kick its butt with my awesomeness, believe it."

Nachiko collapsed into her pillow and smiled appreciatively at her loving father. "Thanks, daddy. I love you."

Naruto swiped his daughter's purple bangs away from her eyes and smiled. "I love you too, Chiko-chan."

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(A few days later – 17th of June)

Naruto returned home with an impassive façade. Yoruichi was sitting on the couch, sighing heavily. Naruto sat beside his wife and she leaned her cheek on his shoulder; spontaneously, the blond draped a hand over her shoulder and pulled her closer to his broad chest. "So you've heard about it, Yo-chan?"

"Masaki-san is a good person. She shouldn't die tragically like this."

"I have examined her body at the morgue. It is definitely not an accident."

Yoruichi blinked. "Hollow attack?"

Naruto sighed. "Regardless, I can't imagine what Isshin and his family are going through now."

The couple sat there quietly, mourning inwardly.

"S-Should we tell Nachiko-chan about… us?"

"You make it sound like the both of us are having a dirty affair or something." Naruto sighed and stared deeply at the carpet. "I… honestly don't know."

"I don't want our daughter to be hurt… or worse… She should learn how to defend herself."

"Then we will be setting our burden on her."

"We can't protect her forever. There will be times where she is left unguarded. What if we can't reach there in time?" Yoruichi argued.

"So you are proposing," The blond averted his gaze as he said solemnly. "We should teach her how to utilise her spirit energy?"

"I don't know. Perhaps we can teach her how to use kido spells or bakudo spells. That way, she can at the very least protect herself," Yoruichi suggested with a smile.

"Then we have to convince her that kido and bakudo spells are not witchcraft." Naruto chuckled. "That would be a pain in the ass to explain. The fact that we are masters of magical spells should be enough to freak her out."

"Do you think she will look at us differently?"

Naruto smirked. "Nah. You should believe in her. If we want to do it, then we should be positive about it."

"I guess you're right."

A moment of silence intruded before Yoruichi broke it. "Should we tell her about hollows?"

"…Fuck."

Yoruichi blinked dumbly. "What's wrong honey? Is there something wrong?"

Naruto gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. "Damn it…"

The Shihouin matriarch was taken aback when her husband grimaced. "Naruto-kun?"

"If we tell her about hollows… then she wouldn't believe I'm superman anymore!" Naruto whined childishly, much to Yoruichi's displeasure.

His wife smacked his head, and they burst into chortles.

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(6 years later...)

_We fear what we can't comprehend._

And because we can't comprehend, we fear.

A girl, dressesd in the standard shinigami combat uniform, stood proudly atop a utility pole. Closing her eyes, she focused her senses sharply to her surroundings. "I see. My instincts are correct. I did feel a strong spirit activity here. This is the place."

The shinigami leaped across a few buildings before she made her fateful descent on Karakura town.

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"I am Ichigo Kurosaki. Fifteen years old. High school freshman. My father runs the town clinic. Saving lives and watching people die before my very eyes has become something ordinary to me. Life and death, those are things we have to accept. I guess, perhaps, that's the reason why I can see spirits."

After trashing a few thugs, helping a young spirit, Ichigo strolled back home. When he opened the door, before he managed to mutter out a polite greeting, he received a kick in the face from his father. "YOU'RE LATE, ICHIGO!"

That was something common in the Kurosaki household. So common, the two younger sisters of Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu, could be dispassionate about the whole ordeal. It was their way of life. Ichigo tried his best. He tried his best in many things, mainly to forget the painful memories of his deceased, beloved mother. The guilt in his heart stung him every time he fell asleep, and his nightmares tormented him by forcing him to watch footage of his mother's death over and over again.

Ichigo, despite his looks, excelled in his school and he was an overprotective, reliable elder brother to his sisters. After he had a _friendly _spar with his esteemed father, the orange-haired teen decided to skip dinner and retired for the night to his room.

He didn't know that decision would change his life forever.

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Yoruichi stared intently at the distant sky though the kitchen window. Her soapy hands were submerged within the water in the sink, her eyes gazing lifelessly at the moon. _"Another patrolling shinigami. If this keeps up, they might catch up to us."_

"Mom? What's wrong?" Nachiko, wearing her school uniform, opened the refrigerator and rummaged for a bottle of milk. "Is something troubling you?"

Yoruichi smiled dearly at her daughter and responded with a soft tone. "It's nothing. I'm just thinking whether I should employ maids or not. Our new house is just too big. I can't possibly clean every corner of this house, can I?"

"I can help up!" Nachiko beamed and softened her gaze. _"I am Nachiko Uzumaki. Fifteen years old. I'm a high school freshman. My father is the best and most respected doctor in Karakura Hospital. My mother is an average housewife, after she quitted her job as chief editor of a fashion magazine. Ever since I was born, I could already see both spirits and hollows. My parents never tell me much about what hollows really are, or where they came from, though I know they do know something. But since they don't wish to tell me, I won't ask too much."_

"It's okay, sweetie. Just concentrate on your studies." Yoruichi twisted her attention to her work. "I made some pudding. Do you want some?"

"I'll eat it later. I'm going back to my room to finish my homework. Goodnight mom." Nachiko strolled insouciantly to the stairs and ascended to her bedroom.

"Goodnight." Yoruichi sighed. _"Something is going to happen tonight."_

Without hesitation, she slid open the window and leaped out into the night.

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A fox, with vibrant orange fur, sat on top of a building, staring at the commotion beneath him. It scratched its ears with its leg and resumed its original position. Abruptly, a cat materialised behind it and the feline settled down comfortably beside the fox. The fox spoke with a feminine tone, "You're here, Yo-chan. I thought you wouldn't show up."

The cat replied with a masculine voice, "That shinigami… Naruto-kun, is she-"

"If I'm not wrong, she's Rukia Kuchiki."

"Oh? She must be little Byakuya's adoptive younger sister." Yoruichi frowned. "So the hollow decided to attack Isshin's family."

"Their prey is Isshin's son, Ichigo Kurosaki." The fox watched as a wounded Rukia thrust her blade into Ichigo's stomach. Yoruichi and Naruto marvelled when a disastrous explosion erupted as Ichigo was enveloped with immense power. His spiritual energy skyrocketed, alarming the fox and cat, as well as a dumbfounded Rukia. When the smoke cleared, the orange-haired teen wore the traditional dark robe of death and wielded a humongous blade.

The orange fox grinned. "The boy really is something. The size of one's zanpakuto reflects upon its wielder's strength."

The black cat smirked. "I see you have some plans for him."

"Maybe, maybe not. At any rate, that hollow doesn't stand a chance against Ichigo. The boy lacks skills, but his reiatsu can easily match any fifth seat officers. Scary, scary."

"Yes." Yoruichi scoffed. "Say the man whose reiatsu surpassed any lieutenant when he was merely in the academy."

"That's all in the past now. I'm now just a humble doctor, a loving husband and a fantastic father." The fox boasted.

The cat rolled her eyes. "So, someone should clear the mess, right?"

"I'm sure Rukia-san knows what to do. Don't forget, we're just ordinary civilians, living a very ordinary life."

"They will catch up to us, sooner or later."

"Well, they haven't caught up yet. And it has been a century. We'll be fine." Naruto assured. "We should leave now. The show is over."

Yoruichi nodded. "I might need to go back and check the oven."

"Don't tell me you forgot to turn it off."

The cat giggled. "Heh, maybe."

"As expected." Naruto sighed. "Let's go."

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(Next day…)

"Nachiko, have you heard about it?"

The purple-haired girl arched a brow. "Heard about what? Something happened, Tatsuki?"

"It's about Ichigo." Tatsuki stood at the side of the hallway and sighed. "Last night, a truck crashed into his house."

Nachiko blinked. "Really? Now that is news you don't hear every day. Did anybody get hurt?"

"From what I heard, everybody is fine." Tatsuki shrugged. "Geez, sucks to be him."

Orihime had stridden past the girls and heard everything. "I-I hope Kurosaki-kun is fine."

"Oh, good morning, Orihime." Nachiko beamed. "Did you bring lunch for today?"

The orange-haired teen nodded in a bubbly manner. "Yes! Today is fish-shaped sweet bean bread and ramen with wasabi and honey sauce! You want some, Tatsuki-chan, Nachiko-chan? I make extras for the both of you too. Do you want some?"

Nachiko and Tatsuki blanched. "U-Uh… no thanks."

"But it's delicious- kyah!" Just when Orihime spun around, she bumped into her object of affection. "Oww…"

"Oh, it's you, Inoue?"

Tatsuki growled. "Ichigo, you should apologise to Orihime."

Nachiko shook her head disapprovingly at Ichigo's action. "When you bump into someone, 'oh, it's you' isn't going to cut it."

Under the oppressive gazes of both girls, Ichigo staggered. "Oh, uh, my bad. Are you okay, Inoue?"

Orihime stood up abruptly and chuckled nervously. "It's okay! It's really okay! I-I'll be going now!"

Ichigo watched as the girl ran away in fright. "What's wrong with her?"

Nachiko folded her arms under her chest and sighed. "Maybe it's because you have a scary face."

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Keigo smirked. "Ichigo, this ain't no secret no more. I heard a truck crashed into your house. You sure have some rotten luck."

"Pretty much." Ichigo sighed.

"Have you cleaned the mess up?" Mizuro asked.

"You do know that a truck just crashed into my house, right? You can't expect everything to be cleaned up in a day. It will at least take a week to fix that shit up."

"Need my help?"

Ichigo switched his attention to the intimidating man standing beside him. Sado Yasutaro, the 'all-muscle' guy in his class was good friends with Ichigo. "Uh, it's okay. Thanks for the offer, Chad."

"Chad, you might probably break more stuff than help." Keigo mocked.

"Oh, you must be Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo blinked, turn around and was dumbstruck by the presence of Rukia before him. "My name is Kuchiki. I will be sitting beside you from today onwards."

The orange-haired teen screamed aloud before pointing an accusing finger at the girl. "Y-You!"

Rukia grinned inwardly.

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Nachiko, who was sitting on the rooftop, enjoying lunch with her friends, was suddenly perturbed. _"A hollow?"_

Dropping her food, the purple-haired girl stood up and bowed meekly. "Please excuse me, I have to go to the restroom."

"Okay." Tatsuki grinned. "Just don't forget your way back."

Nachiko smiled before she dashed to her designated destination. _"Why is there a sudden rise of hollow activity in Karakura town? This town doesn't usually get crowded by hollow invasions often. Now, it seems like they're pulling a festival or something. At any rate, I have to find that hollow before it attacks innocent people."_

Channelling spirit energy into her legs, she burst into supersonic and sped through the streets.

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"You sure this is the right thing to do, Naruto-kun?" Yoruichi sat on the rooftop in her cat form, spying on her daughter. "You know he is going to see her using her powers."

"Yeah, it's destiny." Naruto grinned as he stood beside the cat in his fox form. "Besides, I have a foreboding feeling about Rukia-san. Something tells me a mastermind is scheming behind everybody's back, trying to steal something very important and rule over the world under his tyrannical hegemony."

"You're thinking too much." The black cat rolled her eyes. "I just hope this turns out good."

A dreadful wind breezed past them and Naruto sighed.

"I have a bad feeling about this though. Yo-chan…" The fox narrowed his eyes. "If we ever have to return to Soul Society… never bring Nachiko-chan with us."

Yoruichi nodded solemnly. "Let's hope that day never comes."

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New chapter is done. This chapter will bring you to the start of the canon series.

Yes. Nachiko is OC, but you can imagine she look like Yoruichi, except her hair is as spiky as her father.


End file.
